Outlands
by Mieren
Summary: Fourth story in the saga after Midnight Shadows, Obsidian Fires and Dragon Wars! I've had this in progress for a long time and decided to continue as a present for a friend. Cursing and violence. Complete! Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Outlands

Sequel to Dragon Wars

By Mieren

---

Cold, rolling fogs stretched into the horizon on the empty plains. No light, no warmth, no life. The emptiness of the endless fields was almost complete. A woman sat where the fogs were the thinnest, occasionally trailing her fingers through the icy mists to pass the time. She sighed forlornly and scrubbed her hair out of her face futilely, wondering if she should continue wandering through the endless fogs, the unending night. Pushing herself unsteadily to her feet, she continued in the direction she had been traveling for what seemed like forever. There was no day here, no end to the absolute darkness and boiling fogs, no way to know how long she had been here, how long it had been since she had eaten last.

Sighing and trying to change her train of thought, she began a steady lope into the fogs, the icy moisture blistering her bare skin. She had been over every detail of her arrival more times than she could count and still had yet to figure out how to escape this nightmare. After running for some time, she decided to try yet again to escape, tracing intricate patterns in the still air with the tips of her fingers and chanting softly under her breath. Several runes flared to life in the chill air, illuminating the harsh wastelands around her for a mere instant before the energy of her spell faded.

Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she continued moving, knowing that any further attempts to break free of the blackness would be equally worthless. Magic didn't work properly here, her strongest spells and incantations producing little more than puffs of smoke or the occasional flash of light. Her constant attempts to keep the fogs at bay proved to be less than worthless. More often than not, the unraveling spells drew the mists to her, the almost intelligent white tendrils moving unerringly towards the source of energy.

Wincing, she looked to her burning skin, blisters rising where the opaque cords of mist had brushed against her only moments ago. Past encounters with the fogs were still visible on her pale skin, vicious scarring blanketing her slender form. Her arrival in the endless, barren land had nearly been fatal before she recognized the burning of her skin and very soul. She had barely staggered into a small area of clear air before collapsing onto the cold stone below, unconscious and barely breathing. So slight was her life energy at that moment that the fogs had been unable to detect her presence, allowing her the time she so desperately needed to recuperate. Now, she could almost swear that the mists were hunting her, laughing at her efforts to escape her nightmarish prison. She could feel the unfathomable energies contained in the whiteness around her but could do nothing to protect herself from the endless power.

Despite the repercussions of some of her past attempts, curiosity and desperation began clawing incessantly at her mind for her to try again. Pulling to a halt in a small patch of clear air, she steeled her mind and body, forcing her psyche to open to the powers around her. Pain lanced through her as the fogs retaliated, objecting to her quest for an understanding of the peerless energies surrounding her. Tears streamed unending from her eyes as she continued searching through the secrets, the limitless power, of the plane of existence she had been trapped in for almost thirteen years.

Unable to bear the searing pain any longer, she withdrew her mind from the chaotic tangles around her, smiling tightly. Despite the best efforts of the nearly sentient energies around her, she had indeed learned the one thing that had been driving her to the brink of insanity for thirteen long years. The way out.

The path she had learned would allow her to escape after her lengthy, tortured imprisonment. She would finally have revenge on those who had forced her into this place, this plane of existence. The fogs would part for her if… when, she corrected herself forcefully… she learned to control them, when she made their power her own. The only problem she could see was that this would be more painful than she would have really cared for. Sighing loudly and steeling her nerves, she began, desperation weighing heavily on her decision.

For the first time since her violent arrival, she called the fogs to her instead of struggling to repel them, closing her eyes as cords of power shot out from her towards the rolling whiteness. Sensing the power, the mists closed in to consume the raw energies flaring in the blackness. Screams shook the dimension as the two powers collided.

Howling into the rising winds and slipping to her knees in agony, she struggled to draw more powers to herself, eyes overflowing with tears as the pain racing through her body continued to intensify. She couldn't help wondering if her visions had been accurate, if the information she had wrenched from the fogs had led her to the right decision. Melted lumps of skin and half-charred flesh slid from her gaunt frame as the seconds ticked on in the unending night. The flames of power around her were slowly guttering out, flickering feebly in the endless fogs that continued to build from her first summoning.

The moment she feared most came upon her suddenly. The flames around her trembling form vanished in the unyielding fogs, the last of her mental defenses collapsing with the fires. Unable to bear the pain any longer and no longer possessing the ability to fight back, she did something she had never done in her entire life. She surrendered. Darkness consumed her.

Numbness, blessed coolness, spread along her charred limps suddenly, washing away her injuries completely, only the memories of pain remaining in her churning mind. Shocked, she opened her still watering eyes and was greeted with an incredible sight. The once fierce flames surrounding her had shifted to gently rolling waves of mist. Gasping in shock and hope, she concentrated slightly on the fogs, crowing triumphantly when they erupted into boiling tsunamis.

Relaxing, she allowed the fogs on the fields around her to dissipate but continued to hold onto the ones around her pale form. With a mere twitch of her fingers, a gateway opened only inches from her face, presenting her with a clear path to a sunlit world. She reveled in the burning of her eyes, staring ravenously at the brilliance, the only light she had seen in thirteen years. She was free.

---

Wriggling sleepily, a lithe form sprawled gracelessly across the couch let out a jaw-cracking yawn and rolled over, intent on going back to sleep. The room was the perfect temperature and his makeshift bed was blissfully soft. There was nothing in the world that could convince him to get up.

Poke.

Face screwing up in irritation, the sleepy youth curled up tighter where he lay, blatantly ignoring everything in his vicinity. No one was going to disturb his nap.

Poke.

Swatting blindly at whatever was behind him, he contacted only empty air.

Poke.

Snarl rising deep in his throat, he lashed out again at the bothersome force behind him, his murderous swing succeeding only in killing the lamp on the nearby table. The much-abused lamp, which was now over ninety percent duct tape due to his sleeping habits, rebounded off of the side of the table and rolled across the floor mostly unharmed. The endless loops of tape holding the once nice lamp intact seemed to have protected it from his mad swing.

Poke.

Slowly, reluctantly, one bleary, unhappy blue eye cracked open, squinting angrily against the burning afternoon sunlight spilling through a nearby window.

"What… do… you… want?" he snarled, enunciating each word slowly and with murderous clarity.

"You off the couch," a stern, haughty voice answered immediately.

"No."

"But I want the TV," he growled.

"Tough! I'm sleeping here."

Poke.

"Get up."

"No."

Poke.

"Get up!"

"No!"

Poke.

"This is your last chance, Sleeping Beauty. Get up."

"Go away!"

Pursing his lips into a pout, the slender boy changed tactics as he had implied the last time he had prodded his brother. Stiffening his fingers, he set to work.

SMACK!

"Shin!" he howled, leaping off of the couch and clutching his stinging butt.

"Serves you right, Cye," he huffed, trying to push past him to rummage through the cushions in search of the elusive remote. "You know you're not supposed to sleep on the couch."

Too furious to summon words to mind, he settled on tackling his little brother, intent on driving his skull into the floor. Thinner and obviously weaker, Shin lost ground rapidly, yelping as his long, unruly black hair suddenly became firmly entangled in Cye's long fingers. Kicking angrily, he countered, snagging a fistful of the auburn waves falling to the bony shoulders in front of him. Punching and kicking in a frenzied tangle, the two squabbling brothers rolled over the lamp for the third time that week, leaving behind a mound of tape and ceramics.

"SHIN! CYE!"

Both boys straightened suddenly, trying frantically to soothe their clothes and hair. Standing before them with one foot tapping angrily was the only thing that had kept them from tearing the house to shreds years ago. Mana.

"He started it, Mom," Cye stammered in his defense, not liking the look he received for his statement. "He hit me."

"He was sleeping on the couch again," Shin hissed, regretting it instantly when his mother's molten gaze shifted to him instead. Letting out something that was nearly a squeak, he snapped his mouth shut and swallowed nervously.

"Both of you, to your room," she growled.

Neither needed encouragement. They knew the drill by now. Pushing at each other furiously to gain positions in the lead, they scampered up the stairs, neither of them willing to push their mother any further lest they augment her wrath.

Sighing, Mana set about collecting the terrorized lamp and setting it on a nearby table. Making a mental note not to let Touma anywhere near the thing again, seeing as to how he had fixed it the last time with duct tape, she decided she would repair it later with her craft glue. Attracted by the noise, Touma wandered into the living room sleepily and only half-dressed, blinking drearily and not looking entirely awake or alive for that matter. He frowned slightly, eyes roving over the messy room.

"Again?" he whined, scrubbing his electric blue hair futilely out of his face, only to have one stubborn lock fall right back between his eyes. "Can't they ever let me sleep?"

"You've slept long enough," Mana chuckled unsympathetically, shrugging off the irritated look he leveled in her direction. "It's almost two."

Touma sighed noisily. "It's my turn, isn't it?"

Mana nodded firmly, locking eyes with her husband. "And don't think you can weasel your way out of it by giving me puppy-dog eyes, either," she said wryly, biting back a smile at the indignant pout thrown in her direction. She knew his tricks too well to fall for something this simple.

"All right, all right," he groused, lumbering towards the stairs and thinking longingly of his warm, abandoned bed.

Still grumbling about the unfairness of having to be out of bed any earlier than four o'clock in the afternoon on a Saturday, he pushed open the door to his sons' room, biting back a grin when he saw them. The thirteen and ten-year-old boys were grappling relentlessly in the middle of the room, each straining to pin the other to the laundry-covered floor. Touma cleared his throat loudly and tried to adopt a stern expression as the two scrambled to their feet hastily.

"Boys," he began, cut off when Cye started to defend himself.

"Shin started it!"

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"I don't care who started it," Touma growled. "I'm ending it."

This had the desired effects, both of the squabbling boys silencing instantly, understandably afraid of their father's temper. They had only truly ticked him off once, and that was more than enough for both of them. Since that one fateful day, they had both sworn off the pairing of cherry bombs with the toilets in the school bathrooms. The water from nearly forty erupting toilets had flooded the first floor of the elementary school they had been in at the time. Needless to say, Touma had been livid. That had been the first and only time they had seen him turn into a dragon outside of combat, and it had terrified them both. They had known he could transform, use magical abilities and manipulate the elements, but they also knew he didn't like to use his powers for any reason that was short of life threatening, excluding teasing Rowen and Mieren, naturally. Seeing him like that had nearly given them both coronaries on the spot despite their young ages.

"Now," Touma said in a softer tone. "I know you two get bored on weekends and all, but what do I have to do to keep you two quiet and peaceful today?"

"Take us flying?" Shin instantly prompted, jade eyes widening as a smile spread across his pale face.

"No elemental manipulation," Touma said quickly. "You know that."

"Swimming?" Cye asked eagerly, a hopeful grin nearly splitting his face in two.

Touma tweaked aside the curtain and peered though the fogged glass with silvery eyes, grimacing when he glimpsed the snow blanketing the yard. Trust Cye to want to hop into the ocean when it was twenty below outside.

"When its warmer," he promised hurriedly, unwilling to agree to get wet in conditions like that. He had been downright miserable the last time Cye had talked him into wading out into the nearly frozen waters.

"Can we visit Uncle Sage? I'm sure Cye wants to see Katari again," Shin said slyly, eyeing his brother carefully and crowing victoriously when the older boy blushed furiously and tried to hide his face behind his longish auburn hair.

"I think he's out today," Touma said stiffly, trying not to snicker at the look on Cye's face. It would mortally insult his son if he laughed aloud at his first crush. "How about we visit Grandma and Grandpa?" he suggested. "I'm sure that Vera and Len would like to see you two again."

There was only a slight pause before the two nodded. Both they and Touma knew that Mieren had no compunctions about teaching her children, and anyone else who would listen for five seconds, every magic trick and prank she had ever pulled, seen or could think of. Touma shook his head wearily, knowing he was going to have to watch out for an exploding… something… for at least a week after today's visit.

"Get your stuff then," he said happily. "I'll get Mom."

He had barely stepped into the hall before finding himself face to face with his wife, who was currently trying to scowl darkly and refrain from laughing at the same time. It made for a very interesting expression.

"The mighty authoritative figure," she sniggered, obviously losing her battle to hysterical laughter. "That'll show 'em, all right."

Touma quickly adopted an innocent expression and batted his eyes at his wife, gently biting the inside of his lower lip and trying to smile weakly. "But I want to see my little brother and sister," he pleaded, laying his head on her shoulder and doing his best to ignore her rolling eyes.

Barely able to refrain from giggling, Mana could only nod, knowing that her spouse's insane tricks had won again. "I'll get my things," she laughed, shifting past him towards their room. Touma heard her muttering something about 'buying straightjackets for the whole family' as she disappeared in room at the end of the hall. It took him a moment to realize that he had a snickering audience.

"Are you two ready?" he asked lightly, pretending firmly that they hadn't just seen his little performance yet again. The two boys nodded.

"You really need to teach Cye how to do that," Shin chirped happily. "It'll be handy the next time we visit Uncle Sage and Katari." He had barely finished saying the older girl's name before running for his life, Cye right on his heels.

Touma sighed loudly. "And there they go."

"Again?" Mana laughed softly, wandering into the hall at the sound of retreating footsteps. "Oh well. I guess its best to let them wear themselves down now so they behave in the car."

"We'll let them have about ten minutes to kill each other," he agreed wryly.

"That'll work. Get your stuff and I'll pack a few snacks," she murmured, heading for the stairs. She paused suddenly and glanced over her shoulder. "You did tell them that we're coming, right?"

"What fun would that be?"

"Touma…" she started warningly.

"Just call it a surprise attack. Mom loves it."

Mana sighed, knowing that there was no point in arguing further. Mieren may love the insanity of Touma's raids, but it drove Rowen absolutely insane, which was probably why he did it. Deciding to make the best of the situation, she went looking for her digital camera, just _knowing_ that she was going to need it.

---

Mieren tensed suddenly, her acute senses instantly informing her that something was outside, circling the house. Her eyes flicked towards Rowen and the twins where they wrestled playfully, oblivious to the danger they were in. Slowly, silently, she slipped out the nearest window into the back yard, eyes scanning the countryside. A single shadow moved, causing her to grin wickedly and slip into the trees from another angle, coming up behind the poorly concealed form. She couldn't help smiling as she moved ever closer to the shadow stalking the house, wondering how the intruder had missed her presence. Tensing her muscles suddenly, she sprang.

The slender form quickly lost ground and was pinned and gagged in a matter of seconds, leaving Mieren gloating arrogantly over her squirming captive.

"Too slow and loud," she smirked, planting one foot firmly in the center of the presented back. Unhappy silver eyes turned to look at her from under a mess of unruly sapphire locks. Somehow, Touma managed to extend his tongue past his gag to wiggle it defiantly at her.

A soft click alerted her to the presence of a new attacker, but she wasn't concerned in the slightest. The click had sounded suspiciously like a camera.

"Hello, Mana," she greeted softly without turning around.

A poorly muffled giggle told her that her guess was correct, her daughter-in-law hiding in the nearby bushes.

"I told him it wouldn't work," she laughed softly.

Mieren grinned, pushing her loose snowy hair out of her shimmering jade eyes and struggling to tie the unruly locks at the base of her neck. "Not on me, anyway."

"But of course."

"Where are the two monsters?"

Mana didn't answer, instead opting to ready her camera in the direction of the house. Mere moments later, Rowen and Len came bolting out of the house with a horse-sized silver dragon hot on their heels, snapping and growling viciously. Even as Rowen was trampled gracelessly, Len leapt into the air, flickering out of existence instantly to leave his father to fend for himself.

As Len vanished into nothing, another war broke out of the house. A teal dragon with a stunning white mane was viciously thrown onto the yard to land heavily on his back, his attacker following instantly. A dragon with obsidian scales that shone blue emerged from the open door, sapphire mane flying wildly as she attacked. The battle between them quickly intensified. The teal dragon was obviously stronger, but the smaller, darker dragon was infinitely more vicious and a good deal faster. Brutality and speed quickly lost to strength, and the darker form was pulled to the ground. The victory was fleeting.

The air beside them rippled, a pale serpentine form emerging in a burst of crystalline flames. A pearly form that shone blue in the harsh afternoon light entered the fray, obsidian mane and eyes vanishing in the scaly tangle. Larger and more powerful than either of his opponents, the teal form quickly rose to the summit of the ensuing pile, howling loudly in victory, or so he thought.

Having lost in a matter of seconds, Rowen was abandoned where he was half planted in the ground, his silvery attacker turning to a new target, the black eyes landing instantly on the victorious turquoise aggressor. His deafening roar was the only warning anyone had before the planned attack was turned into a chaotic free-for-all.

Unable to resist any longer, Mieren pulled Touma free of the ground and led him in a mad charge towards Rowen, who was barely regaining his feet. He only had time to squeak in protest before two dragons, one blue and one white, trampled him into the ground. From somewhere amid the fangs, claws and scales, he squirmed out of the pile and spun lightly on his toes, vanishing into thin air and reappearing beside Mana, completely out of breath and more than slightly peeved.

"You could have warned me," he groused, glaring angrily at the twin battles still raging on the lawn. Deprived of their initial target, Mieren and Touma had turned on one another. As if it could be wondered why he objected to these little surprises.

"What fun would that have been?"

"For me, plenty. I'm not exactly an equal contestant in these little brawls, you realize."

"Neither am I."

"But they're not trying to pulverize you."

"Point," Mana conceded, clicking off another few pictures. She paused suddenly, tilting her head to one side with a thoughtful expression. Her eyes suddenly widened in recognition of the gentle rumble her sharp ears heard approaching. "CAR!"

The battles raging across the lawn promptly vanished, leaving behind only trampled spans of grass where the miniature wars had been held. Rowen and Mana watched carefully as a car rounded the corner on the rarely used country road and passed by at a good deal over the speed limit. They continued to listen carefully until the soft noise of the engine faded from view. Rowen was the first to break the silence.

"Resume," he called loudly, eyes narrowing dangerously when neither of the invisibility spells dissipated. A nagging feeling settled in the bottom of his stomach, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. It did not soothe his nerves when he realized that Mana was readying her camera.

"Smile," she purred.

Completely spooked, Rowen faded into the shadows, vanishing completely in the darkness. He hadn't been out of sight for more than a few seconds before he let out a blood-curdling yelp and bolted out of the trees towards the house, cursing rabidly over his shoulder as he went.

"That wasn't nice," Mana admonished playfully, making a face. "I didn't get to take a picture."

Mouri stepped out of the trees and shrugged, casually slipping to the side as Mieren careened past him, hot on Touma's heels.

"Not my fault you're slow," he countered, sliding sideways as Vera tore by, intent on driving Cye's skull into the ground. Len and Shin followed only moments later in human form, quickly collapsing in a tangle of arms and legs as they systematically pulverized one another.

"I didn't see you in the original tangle," she said suddenly, eyeing the elfin sorcerer curiously. "Where were you?"

"Hiding," he answered evasively.

"How did you know we were coming?"

"I saw Mieren hop out the window. That was a pretty good indication that someone was planning a surprise attack."

Mana exchanged a knowing look with her ancestor. "They were never very good with the stalking bit, were they?"

"Not at all," he laughed.

"Shall we?" Mana asked, motioning towards the house. They would have to start cooking eventually, and the sooner the meal was ready, the better. The insanity wouldn't end until the insane were fed.

"Let's," Mouri agreed readily, glancing at the three miniature wars raging across the lawn. He waved at Rowen on the roof, trusting the younger man to watch for cars passing by while they worked. Rowen saluted him sarcastically as they vanished into the house, shaking his head wearily at the violence in the yard, thankful that he wasn't involved. He knew it was a silly little quirk, but he rather liked breathing.

---

Dais leapt high into the air, spinning expertly in a roundhouse kick and landing on the balls of his feet. He continued with the maneuver by delivering a low spinning swipe intended on depriving his opponent of his feet. Not even breaking a sweat, he executed a vicious uppercut, falling into a relaxed stance upon completion of the simple exercise. The applause from his advanced class instantly resounded through the large practice room, causing him to grin widely. He rather liked showing his students what he planned for the next class at the end of every session. Struggling to keep a straight face, he bowed formally, dismissing his students as he fought to keep from laughing at the faces Sehkmet was making in the far corner when he thought that no one was looking.

When he was certain that the last student was out of hearing range, he tackled his green-haired friend, pinning him to the ground with minimal struggle. He only had to twist his friend's arms behind his back for a few seconds before he heard the cry for mercy.

"I give up! You win! Uncle! Uncle! Get offa me, you bastard!"

Laughing too hard to speak properly at the improper form of the request, Dais pushed himself to his feet, still bubbling over with mirth as he hauled his best friend off of the floor.

"You shouldn't do that while I'm instructing," he reprimanded.

"Especially since you can't walk and chew gum at the same time," Sehkmet muttered, raising his hands defensively at the mock glare the statement earned him.

"As stupid as ever," a soft voice interjected before they could resume combat. Shocked that someone other than Cale or Anubis was interfering with their argument, they spun quickly to see who had interrupted their imminent war. Dais's jaw dropped when it finally registered whom he was staring at.

"Mieren!" he called happily, pushing past Sehkmet to see if he could trick her into hugging him. After all of the attempts he had made over the years, he hadn't succeeded once. Today was no different. Slipping past his outstretched arms, she clapped him on the shoulder and exchanged a few playful punches with Sehkmet.

"Where are the other two morons?" she smirked when Sehkmet was only able to successfully block one of her mock punches, the others landing on his arms and chest with enough force to leave bruises.

"They're in back preparing for their classes at six," Sehkmet supplied, rubbing at one of the ribs she had hit just a little too forcefully. "I'll get them," he offered, determined to avoid collecting any more bruises if he could. Before she could swat him again, he vanished into the back rooms.

Dais shrugged off the snubbing as he always did, wondering what had prompted her visit. She didn't come by to see them too often.

"So what have you been up to lately?" he asked merrily, leaning casually against the nearest wall and giving her his best smile.

"Not too terribly much for the last decade or so," she murmured, glancing around the practice area curiously. "Nothing of real interest, you know. How about you?"

"Just the usual teaching," he laughed, arching one eyebrow as he studied her with great interest. Something seemed to catch his eye, causing him to choke on a giggle. "You dyed your hair!" he choked out, tears streaming from his one good eye. "I thought you weren't that concerned with your appearance."

She made a face, fingering her hair idly. "Like you have room to talk. Your roots are showing."

Dais sniffed loudly and fingered his snowy hair, wondering if she could do something, anything, about his hair so he wouldn't have to keep bleaching it to keep the purple from showing through.

"You could have at least chosen a new color," he countered, flicking a thick lock of raven hair out of her face, oblivious to the irritated tick beginning in her cheek. Whatever she had been intending to say was cut off when the other three Warlords streamed into the room.

"Hey Mieren!"

"How's it hanging?"

"I told you guys she was here," Sehkmet groused.

"Hey guys! Look what Mrs. Vanity did to her hair," Dais teased, holding up a fistful of longish onyx locks for their inspection.

"You could have chosen a new color," Anubis bantered playfully.

"That's what I said," Dais smirked.

"For your information, I rather like this color," she said somewhat stiffly, eyes flaring with her temper.

"They were only kidding," Cale said apologetically. "You know they didn't mean anything, Mieren."

Growling softly, dangerously, she rounded on the blue-haired man. "One more thing, Children of the Midnight Shadows," she sneered, causing the four Warlords to stiffen instantly, both Anubis and Dais stepping back defensively. The blood drained from Cale's face. "I am not Mieren."

Desperately, they tried to summon their magical energies and contact the Ronins and their children telepathically, frantic to warn them what was happening. Before the first flame could rise into the air, a shield of wispy fog snapped around them effortlessly, searing their minds and effectively crippling them. Warning their friends was the only thing they could think of as blackness consumed them.

---

Mana flopped back on the plush sofa between Mouri and Touma, grinning to herself when the four children circled the room twice before darting out the front door. Mieren and Rowen watched them leave amusedly from where they were curled up together in the armchair, exchanging kisses when they thought the others weren't looking, which they usually were.

"It's a wonder that they can still move like that after eating that much," Mouri mused, always intrigued by how energetic ten-year-olds could be.

"I know," Touma mused. "Eating never did seem to slow either of them down. If anything, it gives them the energy to continue their rampages."

"Interesting theory," Rowen smirked, trailing off when Shin and Vera skidded to a stop in front of them, gibbering madly.

"Slow down," Mieren said quickly, exchanging a worried look with her husband. "What's going on?"

"Cye's hurt," Vera blurted out, her dark eyes wide and jaw trembling.

Mana and Touma were instantly on their feet and out the door, Shin only inches in front of them as they raced across the yard and into the trees, the others following less than a heartbeat behind them. They had seen Cye break limbs before without even slowing down or flinching. The thought that he was hurt badly enough to gather attention frightened them.

In a small clearing where several of Vera and Len's trails converged sat Cye, staring blankly at the sky with a slightly glazed expression. Len knelt beside him, looking worried and completely lost.

"He won't say anything," he whimpered, looking up to his mother with teary jade eyes in a too pale face. "He just sits there."

"Cye?" Mana asked softly, placing one hand on his shoulder and shaking him gently. "Cye, are you okay?"

Mieren pushed past her, gathering snowy flames around her hands and searching her grandson's mind and body with the energies. She bit her lower lip in frustration, unable to find anything wrong with him. Worried and utterly confused, she glanced at the others, the silence tearing at her sanity.

"What are you saying?" Mouri asked suddenly, dropping to the ground beside Cye and studying him carefully, watching the boy's lips move slightly. He looked almost as though he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

Len pushed past Touma to study Cye for himself, extending a chord of crystalline power towards the older boy. The reaction he received was sudden and violent. Turquoise energies flared up around the auburn-haired youth, surging furiously above the treetops before dying out again. The following silence was broken only by Cye's strained voice.

"In the beginning, there was only the darkness and the night. Daybreak gave way to light and banished the darkness, but with the setting of the sun, the night shall return once more. In the furthest reaches of destruction shall the shadow emerge and unseen light shall fall to the unending gloom, the brilliance forever extinguished. Beyond the shadow and the devastation lies the beginning and the end, that which is neither of the light nor the shadow, that which simply is. That which does not exist shall consume the illumination that cannot be seen and give rise to that which shall not exist."

"Oh, God no. Please, not again," Rowen whispered, eyes filling with tears.

"We need to find the others," Mieren snapped, voice trembling.

"We'll scatter," Mouri said quickly. "We can find everyone faster."

"We have to stay in pairs, at the very least," Mieren panted, tears slipping from her eyes. "Mouri, you stay with the children. Mana, you're with Touma. Look for Akira and Ella first. Then go after Sage, Kayura and Katari. Rowen, you're with me. Let's go." Suiting actions to words, she snapped a portal open and slipped through, Rowen leaping after her quickly lest he be left behind. A second gateway winked into existence at Touma's call, Mana shadowing him as he leapt through recklessly.

"Uncle Mouri," Vera whispered, locking eyes with the ancient elfin sorcerer. "What's going on?"

Knowing that they had need of the information, he began with the basic facts, only elaborating when absolutely necessary. Time was limited.

---

Akira nearly leapt out of his skin when a portal of shimmering silvery blue flames snapped open only inches from where he sat in the restaurant. As it was, he inhaled a mouthful of Coke, choking violently and glaring angrily when Touma and Mana appeared in the middle of the nearly abandoned café.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ella snapped, beating him to the question by less than a heartbeat. "Have you gone mad? What if someone sees you?"

"We need to go," Touma growled sharply, keeping the gateway open behind him. "She's back."

Both Ella and Akira paled instantly, neither of them needing clarification of who 'she' referred to. No one else could get them that worked up. Silently, Akira rose from his seat and tossed a wad of cash onto the table, disappearing through the ready portal with Ella in tow.

---

Mieren leapt out of the gateway she had created without realizing where she was for a moment. The realization of her location slapped her fully in the face in the form of Nasuti's hand. Rowen averted his eyes to the ceiling the moment he cleared the weaving, cheeks heating slightly despite the gravity of the situation. They had only followed mental echoes to find their targets, not bothering to look into exactly what locations they happened to be in, such as a hotel sweet of a certain couple's second honeymoon.

Gau glared at them angrily, pulling a sheet around his waist as he surged out of bed, eyes murderous.

"What are you doing here?" he snarled, color rising in his cheeks.

"The shadow returns," Mieren murmured.

Nasuti froze, her second swing abandoned, forgotten. She shook her head slowly in denial, eyes misting.

"How can you be sure?" she asked, barely managing to keep her voice from cracking. She could not, however, keep the quaver from her words.

"Cye," Rowen answered thickly, the stiffness in his voice having nothing to do with the young couple's lack of clothing.

Gau flinched, stuffing himself into the clothes he pulled off the floor beside the bed, tossing Nasuti her clothes as he sorted through the pile numbly. They ran lightly through the ready gateway, emerging in a gathering group behind Mieren and Rowen's house. The young couple glanced behind them to find that the messengers had already disappeared, continuing their search.

---

Kayura jumped nearly three feet into the air when Touma and Mana suddenly appeared behind her in their living room. Sage choked on an exceptionally vulgar phrase, surging to his feet and looking absolutely murderous.

"What gives?" Sage growled, holding his temper firmly in check when Kayura elbowed him roughly.

"'You know who' is back," Mana said quickly, reopening the portal behind her and waving them through. Sage and Kayura exchanged frightened looks before moving towards the swirling fires. Katari simply looked confused.

The light blue flames disappeared behind them as they stepped into a small clearing in the trees behind Mieren and Rowen's house. Sage jerked in shock at everyone he saw gathered, not missing the fact that Ryo, Kento and their families were still missing. His searching eyes quickly located Cye and he hurried over, blinking in confusion as the boy mumbled something unintelligible in a language he couldn't readily identify.

"What's he saying?" Kayura asked softly.

"I don't know."

"He's gone through at least a dozen languages now," Len said quietly. "I think he's finally switched from German to Latin."

"It was French a few minutes ago," Vera murmured worriedly.

"The sorcerer's tongue before that," Mouri whispered. "I think he was even using the demon tongue for awhile."

"What's wrong with him?" Katari demanded, looking around for an answer with fearful ice blue eyes. "Why is he doing that?"

"Do you remember all of the stories I told you about the sorcerer that defeated Mieren's shadow thirteen years ago?" Sage asked quietly, barely waiting for the answering nod. "That was Cye."

"But he's not old enough to have done that," Katari protested.

"He was then," Kayura murmured. "When he was killed, he reformed as an infant from the energy released at his death."

"You guys wait here," Touma interrupted stiffly. "I'm going after Kento."

He didn't wait for a response before snapping open a portal and leaping through, Mana barely managing to follow before the gate winked out of existence.

Vera's plaintive wail promptly caught everyone's attention. Gau was the first to reach her side, trying to calm the hysterical girl. She gasped softly before breaking down into tears, beyond the capacity of speech. Len broke the ensuing silence, uttering a single phrase that caused everyone to stiffen instantly.

"Mother's gone."

---

Mieren appeared in a largish practice room, Rowen hovering at her shoulder as she looked around the empty building worriedly. She had felt an energy fluctuation in the area and had changed the order of who she would find first. They were supposed to be looking for Mia and Ryo.

"Dais? Cale?" she called, biting her lower lip in consternation. Silence answered.

"Sehkmet? Are you here? Anubis?" Rowen yelled with no better results.

"I'm afraid you just missed them," a soft voice taunted, echoing in such a way as to make locating the source all but impossible.

Undaunted, Mieren shifted her eyes to infrared, ignoring the sting of the early evening light as she desperately hunted the speaker.

"Go find Mia and Ryo," she hissed over her shoulder.

"But…"

"Go!"

"Oh, he's not going anywhere," the whispering voice smirked.

Strands of milky energy shot across the room at a speed that Rowen was hard pressed to follow visually, let alone dodge. He landed heavily on his side, howling in agony as the opaque cords of fog began burning into his flesh, black smoke rising from his writhing form. Mieren forced a gateway open, ignoring the fierce burning in her head as she forced her energies past the multiple wardings in the room. She bunted Rowen through viciously, praying that Ryo was skilled enough to free him from his bindings. The portal faded into oblivion behind him, untraceable assuming that her opponent hadn't seen the original weaving.

"Pathetic, Destroyer."

"Since when did you speak Japanese?" Mieren snapped, hoping to buy Rowen a few crucial seconds.

"I can learn, same as you," she laughed, stepping out of the unnatural shadows in the far corner. "I've learned quite a bit since I was gone."

"I thought you were dead," Mieren continued, panting softly.

"Me? Never," Lanfear answered haughtily, shifting into a small black dragon. Mieren winced, following suit hesitantly, her shimmering opal scales contrasting sharply with her other half's impossible obsidian.

"Then where have you been these thirteen years?" she demanded, taking a small step back. Rowen needed time.

"Nowhere," Lanfear hissed, lashing out with the tip of her tail, the barbed tip leaving a long gash down Mieren's forearm. "Everywhere," she growled throatily, summoning energies to herself as she spoke. Rolling waves of fog rose around her as she approached slowly, condescendingly. "The same place you're going, little sister."

Mieren stiffened and stepped back, calling her own energies to her, opal flames raging around her lithe form as she continued to back away. A delicate ripple passed through the fogs almost lethargically, sending a vicious shock wave through the room. Unprepared for the strange attack, Mieren was bowled roughly off her feet, skidding across the practice room on one wing.

Gasping in pain, she quickly regained her balance and her feet, constructing a shield desperately as slender tendrils of fog snapped in her direction. After the third blow landed on her quavering defenses, her weave collapsed altogether under the power of the burning fogs. Snarling in disbelief and fear, Mieren charged, her blunt tactics shocking Lanfear into momentary stillness. Snowy manes flew wildly as black and white blurs clashed, fangs and claws interlocking in a stalemate. The match in strength dissolved almost instantly as Lanfear returned to her senses and countered.

The battle was over in seconds, Mieren pinned firmly to the ground. Her frantic attempts at sorcery proved to be worthless, her fires dissolving from sheer proximity to the casually swirling mists surrounding her opponent. She could only watch helplessly as an interdimensional gateway was opened, the portal appearing milky, glassy. She could sense, more than see, that the far side of the passage was cloaked in absolute darkness.

Thrashing proved to be utterly worthless, nothing more than a blatant waste of energy. Lanfear easily bound her with cords of mist, the white tendrils slowly incinerating Mieren's skin. Tears slipped down her scaly cheeks as her shadowed double slung her through the portal into the unending blackness.

"Try to enjoy yourself, sister," Lanfear laughed, allowing the portal and the last source of light to fade from existence as Mieren plunged further into the night. Her screams echoed unheard as something scorched her entire being, her scales liquefying and sloughing from her writhing form.

Frantic to be free of the searing agony, she jerked rabidly at her bonds, not slowing her efforts when she tore her left arm off at the elbow. Only whimpering in protest, she cut her feet off at the ankles to escape her last bonds, knowing the necessity of freeing herself from the agony around her. Without checking, she knew that the pain entailed, knew it was quickly killing her. She was trapped in an endless world of fog, the same mists that had nearly destroyed reality thirteen years ago. Growing desperate, she lurched upright and began a lumbering run, often using her wings as an extra set of legs. The membrane of her wings quickly melted in the burning white seas, leaving behind only a basic skeletal structure and a thin coating of charred muscle, both of which were rapidly diminishing. The seconds ticked by slowly, every moment bringing her closer to oblivion. Gateways melted before her disbelieving eyes as she ran, her spells dissipating almost instantly in the endless darkness.

Injured, exhausted, she collapsed in mid-stride, skidding for several yards on the rough stone before she finally came to a halt. Her eyes burned with unshed tears as she panted her last in the darkness, flashes of light flickering in her vision as her mind slowly shut down.

"Rowen, my love. I'm so sorry."

---

To Be Continued…

I've had this typed up for a long time, but wasn't sure if I should continue with the series or not. A fan emailed me begging for more to the story, so I give. I love the reviews.


	2. Chapter 2

Outlands

Part 2

By Mieren

---

Touma leapt out of his gateway into something out of a nightmare, Mana staggering to a halt behind him with a stricken look on her delicate features.

Ritsuko was curled up in a corner bleeding from innumerable lacerations, Ryoko holding her as they cried. Kento stood protectively in front of them with a tetsubo of orange flames in his hands, struggling to keep the swift tendrils of fog away from himself and his family.

Lanfear jerked slightly at the sudden appearance of two more opponents, her shock shifting quickly into wicked glee. Touma didn't hesitate before barreling into her at full tilt, reaching his dragon form before he had covered half the distance between them. Silvery talons sank deeply into the black leathery hide before him even as his silvery blue energies were dispelled by the raging fogs. Pale blue flames entered the fray, immediately followed by vivid orange, both weaves unraveling upon contacting the boiling white.

A burst of bronze light radiated throughout the room as Ritsuko suddenly regained consciousness. Ryoko only had time to cry out in protest before she vanished in a swirl of energy, metallic brown wisps of fire remaining on the floor where she had been sitting.

"Take Ritsuko and go," Touma grated out, muscles bulging fiercely as they came ever closer to tearing from the strain of holding Lanfear to the ground. "Follow them, Kento. I'll hold her here." He jerked erratically when long fangs sank into his exposed throat, ending further speech. _Go!_

Biting her lip forcefully in an attempt to control her shaking, Mana obeyed, turning her energies from Lanfear to Ritsuko and Kento. She backtracked to Sage's house, knowing that no one would be there. Eyes watering forcefully, she opened an untraceable gateway back to Rowen and Mieren's house, allowing the weaves to collapse behind her on the chance that they could still be deciphered by eyes other than her own. A mass of visible energies would still be untraceable if in the form of a useless tangle.

Mana had barely reappeared in the clearing with Kento and Ritsuko before Ryoko bolted out of the trees towards them, tears streaking her pale face. The reunion was short-lived, Vera's piteous cry resounding through the air, causing Mana to choke on a soft, heartbroken cry.

"Touma! No!"

Mana sank to the ground, blind and deaf to the world, oblivious to Ritsuko's trembling embrace. Even had Vera not cried out, she would have known that her love, her soul mate, was gone. Len moved over to his twin sister, trying desperately to comfort her and finding himself to be largely, if not entirely, unsuccessful. He looked up to the sky with dull eyes, jaw trembling visibly.

"Brother."

---

A flaring white light ignited in the kitchen suddenly, causing Mia to back away in confusion and fear. She gasped when a familiar bound and writhing figure fell from the white flames of the portal, landing heavily amid a burst of rabid cursing.

"Ryo! Get in here!"

Footsteps echoed through the house as the black-haired man charged down the stairs and through the dining room into the kitchen. Ryo's eyes widened when he saw his friend thrashing angrily on the floor, eyes glazed in agony.

"Rowen?" he gasped, eyes instantly locking onto the bands of mist holding his friend immobile. He frantically called ruby flames to hand, struggling to snap the strangely sturdy weaves that were charring the pale flesh of Rowen's wrists and ankles.

"You can't break them," Rowen panted, still trying to flatten his hands enough to pull free of the simple bindings. "Slice off a few fingers on one of my hands."

"What the hell is going on?" Ryo cried out, hesitantly calling a dagger of scarlet flames to hand.

"Lanfear is back," he snarled, jerking again at his bonds and hissing in pain when one of the milky cords cut partially through his right wrist. "Mieren needs our help. Hurry!"

"But I thought she was dead," Mia whispered.

"Hardly," Rowen panted, choking on an expletive when Ryo carved the outer two fingers off of his right hand. He jerked his hands free of the semi-solid bindings and summoned a dagger of blue fires to his good hand. Every muscle through his back tensed as he swung the glowing blade in a tight arc, lopping off the entirety of his left heel.

"We need to gather everyone," Ryo began, stopping at Rowen's acrid glare.

"That's what we were doing," he hissed, pulling his bloody feet free and lurching upright unsteadily. "I would have used telepathy, but she would have heard us. The Warlords were already gone by the time we got to them. We need to go before…" he trailed off, eyes blanking slightly.

"Rowen?" Mia asked softly, fearing his response.

"M-Mieren's gone," he stammered.

"Just like that?" Ryo exclaimed, instantly regretting it when he saw the pain in his friend's eyes.

"Lanfear is much stronger than she used to be," he murmured, opening a portal of blue flames behind him. "She was moving so quickly, I couldn't even see what she was doing. W-we need to get back to the others."

Mia was the first to move towards the rolling flames, leaving Ryo to help Rowen through the quavering gateway. The flames flickered and vanished an instant before she stepped through, a new gate forming inches behind it.

"Touma!" he cried out, lunging through the rippling flames, the portal snapping shut behind him as Ryo moved to follow.

"Shit," Ryo growled. "There's no way he can win that." Concentrating fiercely, he managed to recreate the first gateway from memory, ushering a protesting Mia through roughly. "Wait with the others. I'll see if I can help him." When she vanished completely through the trembling fires, he steadied himself for a second, praying that he remembered the patterns correctly. The strands of energy in place, he charged, emerging into a scene of chaos.

Lightning leapt wildly through the ruined remains of a once nice house, infernos of blue and silvery blue flames standing side by side amid a sea of swirling fogs. Ryo moved behind them quickly, opening his mind to the endless energies he had only recently learned to control. A crimson conflagration ignited around him, heat surging through his veins as he continued to summon energy. He didn't resist when he felt his body shifting around him, remembering all too well how the others had gone through the same when fighting. Opening his eyes slowly, he attacked, vanishing from view with his first step.

Everything around him seemed to move in slow motion as he moved closer to his target, twin swords of fire appearing in his hands as he approached the first strand of fog. Remembering the futility of overpowering the milky tendrils, he swatted them roughly to the side and continued with his sprint. He skidded to a halt and backpedaled furiously when Lanfear spun at the last instant to face him, her eyes flashing crimson as she matched his speed almost effortlessly.

Ryo gasped and tried to leap away as his fiery katanas were wrenched out of his hands by some unseen force, but was held immobile by several cords of mist. He could only watch helplessly as his own power was turned against him, the twin swords of fire running through his stomach and chest. Gasping for breath that would not come, he slowly sank to the floor, the crimson flames around him guttering and dying out.

Slowly, painfully, he pushed himself to his feet, hands pressed tightly around the swords buried deeply in his chest and stomach. The agonizing angles of the swords made his movements slow and labored, but he was unwilling to allow his mind to be numbed by the pain, to shut down. Panting uselessly around blood filled lungs, he sent an order to his friends, praying that they would listen and obey.

_Go back to the others,_ he snarled, launching himself in one final attack. At the last possible moment before colliding with his target, he wrenched a fiery sword from his stomach. Shocked that he was still alive, let alone moving, Lanfear was unable to respond quickly enough, the bloody sword slipping jerkily through her ribs.

_What in the hell do you think you're doing?_ Rowen screamed at him, trying to move past the fogs to help him. Ryo's glare stopped him short.

_I'm dead already! Regroup, damn you,_ Ryo spat, a choked whimper escaping his throat when the second sword was ripped out of his chest and rammed in at another angle.

_Ryo…_

_Do it, Rowen! Get Touma out of here,_ he commanded weakly. He glanced over his shoulder with hard, glazed eyes, painfully aware that he was only alive because Lanfear was still toying with him. _And… tell Mia that I'm sorry and… that I love her._

Scowling, Rowen snapped open a short series of invisible gateways behind him and pushed Touma through roughly, dissolving the flames behind his son. Touma's cry of shock and betrayal still rang in the air as Rowen attacked. He was slapped casually aside, Ryo landing heavily atop him. Rowen slipped his arms around his unmoving friend and prepared to leave, freezing in horror when Lanfear held up Touma by the scruff of his neck for inspection.

"Lose something, boys?" she sneered, hefting the unconscious man a few inches higher into the air.

"But that's impossible," Rowen trailed off, struggling vainly to stem the blood flowing between his fingers. He bit his lower lip. His son was in the enemy's hands but one of his lifelong friends was going to die unless he did something quickly. Desperate, he threw Ryo through another portal and attacked, canines extending suddenly as he neared his target. He hated admitting what he was but desperately needed the strength of his other half.

Still smirking haughtily, Lanfear calmly sidestepped him and held out her right hand, delicate streamers of mist swirling into an opaque portal. Rowen lunged wildly for his son, missing horribly when Lanfear slapped him out of the way once more. In an instant, Touma disappeared into the swirling mists and blackness, his father's cries echoing harshly through the empty room.

"Poor, poor Child of Hashiba," she wailed, voice dripping with sarcasm and scorn. "All alone in the world. His delicate wife and fragile son gone forever." Faking a sob, she buried her face in her hands and began trembling with laughter.

Rowen pushed himself slowly to his feet, silently seething. The sapphire flames around him vanished in a violent flash, a small shock wave emanating from his rigid form. He raised cold blue eyes to meet amused jade, baring his fangs as he did something he had sworn thirty-three years ago that he would never do again, no matter what the situation or provocation. He opened his mind to the dark arts.

---

Len's eyes widened slightly and he stiffened minimally, head swiveling to a clear area in the trees an instant before a portal of sapphire flames appeared. Ryo dropped limply out of the raging fires, covered in blood and completely still. Gau and Sage were beside him immediately, two hues of iridescent green flames rising into the air as they struggled to save their friend's life. Mia hovered nearby, eyes wide and jaw trembling.

Vera's strangled gasp initiated a round of flinches through those gathered, many looking to Len for an explanation. It came in something less than a whisper.

"Father."

---

Rowen continued to advance as his muscles bulged unchecked around him, rapidly gaining height as he neared his target. Lanfear, however, seemingly infinitely amused at his efforts, made no move to counter, standing unconcerned as he drew nearer. Black flames met the fogs with results that would have been breathtaking had the situation not been so terrifying. Black lightning surged through the house, the jagged streaks of darkness glowing with a preternatural blue light that slowly spread until everything was coated in the unearthly blue glow. The obsidian streaks glittered with shimmering opal flecks of partially destroyed fogs.

Shocked at the powers displayed, Lanfear paused for a moment, watching interestedly as Rowen continued to draw energies to himself, his eyes finally slipping from crimson to onyx. Having lost the battle for control, the pain and consternation disappeared from Rowen's tense face, leaving behind only bloodlust. Roaring angrily, he charged, clouded mind only vaguely recalling who he was supposed to fight.

Lanfear sidestepped him calmly as he neared and opened her mouth to call out a biting remark, gasping instead when a dagger of air laced with black flames buried itself in her throat to the hilt, tip protruding from the other side. She jerked the blade free and threw it back at its owner, pressing one hand against the gaping wound in her throat, white flecked blood seeping past her slender fingers. Rowen dissolved the blade in midair and continued his attack with barbed whips of wind, many of the bladed cords striking their target.

Amused more than angry, she stepped back from the slashes and began dodging with practiced ease. After thirteen years in virtual hell, she had perfected evading sudden attacks that were almost impossible to locate with her eyes alone. Swatting aside the newest blade of air, she countered with her own elemental attack, one that he would be unable to evade. The floor beneath Rowen opened suddenly, tendrils of earth reaching towards him with alarming speed. Rather than allow himself to be captured, he simply lifted into the air and sped away from the hole in the floor, too numbed by the black flames around him to recognize the ruse. Airborne, he was open to the ever-shifting fogs from all directions, yet confined to the dimensions of the room he was in. Within moments, he was firmly entangled in the snowy strands, the black flames surrounding him slowly flickering out and vanishing altogether.

Cut off from the dark energies he was holding Rowen lost his massive stature rapidly, hanging motionlessly in the mists. Helplessly ensnared, he could only watch groggily as a translucent portal swirled lazily into existence just beyond his blurred eyes, awarding him with a view of the absolute blackness his son had vanished into only a few minutes ago. Realizing he was as good as dead, he remained stubbornly in his vampire form, knowing that he could withstand more injuries, perhaps survive long enough to find his son and wife in the abyss. He didn't resist when he was flung through the icy portal, falling unending into the burning fogs in the absolute blackness.

---

Ryo groaned weakly, blindly swatting at Sage and Gau as he struggled to regain his feet without assistance. He did not object, however, when Mia and Nasuti slipped his arms over their shoulders and held him upright.

"We have to go back," he panted, fumbling to form a gateway and swearing loudly when the poorly woven spell collapsed. "Rowen can't last alone…" he choked out, trailing off when no one moved and raising his dull eyes to Cye, the boy still mumbling under his breath and staring into space.

"Father's already gone," Len murmured, barely discernable past Vera's sobs. "So are Touma and Mother."

"And the Warlords," Cye said suddenly, climbing stiffly to his feet and stretching roughly, several loud pops echoing loudly through the trees. Oblivious to becoming the center of attention, he raised his eyes to the heavens and tensed slightly, wisps of turquoise flames licking his slender frame. "She's coming."

"We'll regroup at my house. We can form a barrier there to keep her from sensing us again," Sage snapped out, readying a portal instantly and gasping when it shattered under a whip of teal flames. "Cye!"

"Like this, Sage," he murmured, opening several dozen gateways leading to various places across the countryside, many of them forming into chains or continuous loops. Before anyone could move through or question him, he abandoned the weaves, collapsing some and tangling others together. Startled yelps and gasps rose from children and adults alike when they suddenly sank into the ground, dropping into a large cavern. A pale blue luminescent sheen coating the walls made it clear that the area was already well warded through Cye's efforts.

"She'll be running all over Japan," Ritsuko murmured appreciatively.

"And China," Cye tacked on, summoning several small fires to alleviate the darkness. He glanced up suddenly, eyes flashing. "Where are the great cats?"

"What?" Kayura stammered, caught off guard by the sudden vehement question.

"The guardian's companions," he growled. "Shadow is still at Mana's. Where are the other beasts? Child of the Clan of the Ancients, why have you not summoned them here already?"

Silence greeted him, shocked looks passing through the group when Cye's accent slipped slightly, almost bordering on sounding like the demon tongue for a moment. Mana was the first to recover and confront her son.

"No one thought about it when we were gathering," she started thickly, not understanding why he had addressed Kayura and Ritsuko by that title or why he had used her name a moment age instead of calling her "Mom" like he had since he had learned to speak again.

"_Call them, Guardian,"_ he said firmly to Ritsuko, summoning her staff to hand and tossing it to her. She was so shocked that she almost dropped the golden staff, stammering slightly as she began chanting. _"Tell them to gather at Zairian's Ledge."_ She froze, face paling to the purest white and jaw trembling slightly.

Mouri choked, eyes bulging. "What did you say?" Cye glanced at him but didn't respond, arching one eyebrow and muttering something that was barely audible. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, the elfin sorcerer tried again in his native tongue. _"Where did you tell her to send the great cats? Answer me, boy."_

"_Are you deaf, Masayuki? Surely your sharp ears heard what I said. You would never have been chosen to scout without exceptional hearing abilities."_

Mouri paled violently, stepping back defensively. _"How did you know my birth name? I never told any of you. Not even my children in this dimension knew."_

Cye didn't answer, no longer paying attention to the terrified sorcerer. _"Damn it, Guardian. Tell the beasts to go to Zairian's Ledge. They will know what to do."_

"What is Zairian's Ledge?" Gau asked suddenly, brutally reminding everyone of the level of his telepathic abilities. Nasuti glanced at him out of the corner of her eye but remained silent, recognizing the harsh look that had appeared on his face.

"I legend, I think," Mouri stammered, visibly shaken. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I hope."

"No one's exactly sure," Ritsuko breathed, the staff in her hands beginning to glow once more. "But if he knows the name without ever hearing it, I can only assume that he knows what he's doing." A small ripple radiated through the air from her staff, the almost invisible wave disappearing into the stone surrounding them.

"That's hardly descriptive of what or where it is," Sage growled.

"There is no 'where' to it," Mouri mumbled, swallowing roughly. "I don't really know what the ledge is either. All I know is that you're not supposed to say his name."

"Who is he?" Len asked suddenly, looking up with slightly glazed eyes.

"There are too many stories, legends, to know for sure," Ritsuko whispered.

"Some say that he is the creator of the sorcerers," Mouri said dully.

"Creator of the essence of magic."

"Of life in the dimensions."

"Of the dimensions themselves."

"Others say that he is a dormant force that will eventually awaken to destroy the dimensions," Mouri whimpered, closing his eyes as though in pain.

"Every living soul and the lands of the afterlife will dissolve in his hands."

"The power of the Light itself will be extinguished at his whim."

"The rumors say that he's over forty million years old," Ritsuko intoned numbly.

"Pity that the rumors don't say that Zairian does not exist," a cold voice sneered, echoes resounding from all directions. Sage and Gau were the first to spin to face the proper direction, the rest of the group following more slowly in a state of shocked panic. Len had to physically tackle Vera to keep her from charging blindly into battle.

"_You are faster than I would have credited you for, astral planer,"_ Cye responded darkly, moving to stand directly in between the group and the shadow still crouched in the far corner. He calmly held one hand behind him, an unseen force keeping the others from rushing forward to help him. _"I thought that you would be searching the countryside for hours."_

"Child of Mouri?" Lanfear breathed, stepping out of the flickering shadows, eyes wide with disbelief when she saw his youthful form. Not waiting for a response, she lashed out with a rope of fog, eyes nearly rolling from her head when he casually swatted it aside, the rolling mists dissolving under the boiling teal flames surrounding him.

"**Incorrect, Manifestation of the Shadows,"** he snapped, slipping unerringly into the demon tongue. Shocked, she took a step back, slowly shaking her head. Lips twisting into a bloodthirsty smile, Cye advanced, oblivious to the fact that she towered over him by more than two feet. As he drew nearer, his eyes slipped into the deepest obsidian, irises and whites disappearing in an instant. Matching leathery wings slowly unfurled behind him, his russet locks flashing to black an instant later. **"I am Zairian."**

"**Liar,"** she whispered, features hardening resolutely. **"LIAR!"**

Howling in defiance, she conjured a sea of fogs to engulf the slender boy in front of her, concentrating too fiercely on her attack to keep track of the others when they vanished suddenly, no flames of power visible to her sharp eyes. Only gentle ripples in the air alerted her to the energies used, yet the weaves were invisible and she could not track them. Cye's lips slowly peeled away from his teeth in a grimace of agony as his skin melted under the churning fogs and slid from his trembling frame. His eyes flashed teal a moment later and he lurched backwards feebly, tears streaking his blistering cheeks when the pain suddenly registered in his mind. A ripple of teal pigmentation rippled through his wings, leaving them with a strangely mottled appearance. The russet coloration of his hair only partially returned as he continued to move away, leaving behind numerous onyx streaks in the once shining locks.

"Grandma?" he quavered, swallowing roughly and slipping brokenly to the jagged stone beneath him. "What's going on?"

Lanfear jerked back, momentarily losing her hold on the mists swirling around her as she studied the trembling form only a few feet from her.

"Avatar," she laughed sarcastically to herself, raising one hand slowly to summon her powers once more. "I should have known you were faking, boy. There's no way you could survive that kind of energy," she scoffed, chuckling more loudly when the liquid turquoise eyes locked with her cold jade widened slightly. "Who provided the knowledge, child? Mieren? Mouri? Surely the others would not know such things."

Cye choked on a sob of pain, pushing himself resolutely to his feet and taking a step back, eyes never leaving the swirling fogs. Inhaling sharply, he sank into the stone, dropping himself ever further and faster into the churning depths of the earth. His mind reached out desperately when he heard the stone behind him cry out in protest to the passage of a large force. He was so preoccupied with increasing the distance between himself and his grandmother's doppelganger that he almost passed the salvation he had called out to, bringing himself to a sudden halt in an underground stream. Cold hands locked around his throat instantly, tightening fiercely until the talons tipping the fingers bit deeply into the charred flesh of his neck. A slow smile appeared on his young features as his entire body went icy, feeling and thought disappearing in the rushing depths of the chill waters around him.

---

Kento was the first to untangle himself from the pile of limbs and groans, rounding furiously on Len.

"How could you leave him there?" he raged, features pained.

Half-glazed eyes looked up at him wearily as the last traces of crystalline flames died out around the youth. Len shifted his gaze, scanning the tense faces around him before answering.

"That wasn't Cye," he murmured, brows furrowing slowly. "Not exactly."

Shin was the first to nod in agreement, the immediate acceptance the only thing keeping Kento from throttling the white-haired youth. Vera swore suddenly, diverting his attention and shocking everyone to silence.

"He just lost!" she spat, eyes tearing.

"Once again, not exactly," Len argued.

"We don't have time for this," Sage snapped.

"Agreed," Mouri growled, finally pulling himself together after what he had seen. "We must counter before she tries again."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Kento demanded. "She's only playing with us!"

"I suggest that we try the same thing she tried on us thirteen years ago," Akira said firmly. Gau nodded in agreement.

"The pentagram," he concluded thoughtfully.

"Or hexagram," Mouri suggested. "That might work better."

"Or not."

At the sound of the newest voice, Vera spun on her toes and charged, Len's desperate lunge missing her horribly as she careened past. Obsidian scales met bluish black in a deafening clap, flames meeting fogs in electric cracks. Vera was thrown towards the others with horrifying ease, unfurling enormous blue-tinged black wings to steady herself just before crashing into Shin.

A sudden flurry of shapeshifting passed through the group, Mana, Ritsuko and Mia quickly retreating to a safe area to avoid the ensuing chaos. Mana looked as though she wanted to join the battle but couldn't bring herself to leave her friends unprotected. Ryoko and Katari circled around them protectively, slapping away the stray bolts of energy that escaped the battle even as Ritsuko struggled to form a shield around the slender black dragon in the center of the fray.

Lanfear calmly sidestepped vicious slashes, her gaze repeatedly straying towards Shin, Vera and Len as they darted in and out of her reach. A smirk slowly formed on her features as five of the older warriors she was familiar with formed a ring around her slowly, hoping she was too distracted with the younger opponents to notice what they were doing. Vastly amused, she watched indiscreetly as they silently pooled their powers.

"Now!" Mouri snapped, teal flames rising into the sky at his call. Answering bursts of power erupted simultaneously around him, the four new energies moving to meet his and each other. Kento, Ryo, Sage and Kayura stiffened slightly as they became four points of the forming pentagram, the energies coursing through them nearly lethal. Mouri staggered slightly but held his position, a steely look crossing his face.

Shocked at the sheer amount of energy they had managed to summon, it took her several moments to realize that all of the younger warriors had moved out of her reach. Growing slightly miffed, she stretched her mind against the multicolored barrier around her, a vicious smirk forming on her features when the weave buckled slightly. Boiling fogs began to rise around her quickly at her call, the milky tendrils infiltrating and unraveling the weave brutally.

Something cracked across her spine with tremendous force, causing her to momentarily lose her hold on the rolling mists. Shocked, she turned jerkily inside the barrier to lock eyes with a young white dragon, onyx mane falling heavily about his spindly neck and bony shoulders. She could feel the energies around him, but her eyes saw only a slight rippling in the air, barely catching the crystalline shimmer of the flames around him. Before she could begin again, the sapphire-maned black dragon that had attacked her originally moved into the outer circle of the pentagram.

The world bucked suddenly when the dragon entered the weave, the cords of energy unraveling and reforming instantly to create a hexagram speckled with numerous runes. Lanfear jerked slightly, hissing angrily as the air around her became molten, the fogs she had summoned slowly dissipating.

Akira motioned imperiously at the others as he slipped unhindered through the outer circle of the hexagram to stand on the innermost region of power. Ella and Len were the first to follow suit, claiming other inner points for themselves. At Len's furious glare, Nasuti and Gau hurried forward, Shin following an instant later to stand on the final free point. A second hexagram formed reluctantly inside the first, Lanfear jerking in pain and trying unsuccessfully to sink into the ground.

"She's trapped," Mouri panted, turning glazed eyes to the small group standing a short distance away. "One of you needs to finish her. We can't move or the weave will collapse."

Katari and Ryoko exchanged frightened looks and moved forward as one towards the concentric hexagrams and their scowling prisoner. Katari was the first to shift, dropping onto all fours and jerking slightly as her skeletal structure changed suddenly, leaving behind a slim, amethyst-eyed white wolf. Grinning weakly at her friend when Sage and Kayura gasped softly in shock, Ryoko followed suit. Only straining slightly, she slipped into the form of a small griffin, bronze feathers accenting her deep metallic brown flanks and sapphire eyes flashing. She grimaced slightly when she saw Kento's incredulous look as she passed, just knowing that her mother was about to have a seizure. Like Katari, she had never before displayed any of her powers.

Together, they slipped easily through the glowing barriers, readying vicious bursts of energy as they drew nearer. Brilliant lavender and deep metallic brown blasts intertwined into a terrifying conflagration of power as Lanfear watched with a slightly fearful expression marring her features. The false trepidation slid from her face in an instant. Emitting a deafening roar, she slapped the blast towards its origins, crowing happily when the two young warriors leapt nimbly aside with mortified shrieks. Weary of playing the role of the crippled captive, she began summoning the eternal fogs again, laughing to herself when none of the warriors on the hexagram points shifted, trusting the two young girls to swat the cords away from them as they futilely strove to keep her contained.

More amused by their efforts than annoyed, Lanfear doubled the intensity of her attacks, eyes flashing from red to white as she struggled slightly to force her energies past the runes and hexagrams. Pained cries began arising from the almost everyone on the outermost points as mists met flesh. The younger combatants slowly began to crumple from the effort of repelling her attacks while holding their spell in place. They may have succeeded in holding the barrier in place for a few minutes longer if it had not been for one vital distraction. Katari fell to the mists, her shrieks ringing through the churning air.

"No!"

The simultaneous cry from Sage and Kayura erupted even as the outer hexagram dissipated, their temporary inattention giving her the necessary time to punch through their defenses. The resulting backlash of energy left only Mouri and Vera standing, though the former was swaying unsteadily and clutching his head in agony. Kento simply vanished.

The first of the barriers gone, the second was simple to destroy, pained howls filling the air as the intricate weaves were severed. Lanfear laughed softly as young demons circled her warily, desperately struggling to recreate the weave they had been holding only moments before. Kento's furious howl resounded suddenly through the dazed group, his gaze flickering over Len for a moment.

"Armor of Hardrock! Dao Gi!"

"Child of Fung," she purred, eyes lighting up. "Will you never learn?"

Still laughing softly, she called out something under her breath, watching expectantly as shadows and smears of gray began streaking the armor. Her eyes snapped up when Mouri's furious oath cut off mid-syllable. Clicking her tongue irritably, she made a mental note to start shielding the battlefields while she was toying with someone. Wisps of energy still lingered in the air, but like before, she could not see the weaves, the glowing afterimages of power nonexistent. Knowing she could follow their mental signatures later, she returned to her work, gloating happily when her captive sent a variety of vulgarities across her link with the armor. Having made a copy of the armors so many years ago, she knew quite well how to tap into them and any soul they touched.

Kento's eyes suddenly flicked across the empty clearing, a smile playing on the corners of his mouth. Shocked that he could still move, she tweaked the bond she had attached to the armor, scowling when he suddenly dissolved out of his armor and sank into the earth like a lump of runny clay.

"Earth elemental," she grumped, eyes widening when the armor shifted suddenly in front of her, throwing her a crude gesture and sinking into the ground. "That's new," she muttered sarcastically, idly wondering how he had regained control. Probably something to do with his elemental abilities complementing that particular armor, she decided quickly, shrugging in resignation and readying another portal. She had never been able to gain control of their elemental powers, anyway.

"**Going somewhere, Warrior of Shadows?"**

Jumping several feet into the air, she landed on her toes facing the voice only to find herself staring at an empty patch of earth. Silently cursing herself for being so edgy around the boy, she began looking for one of Mouri's descendants. She was certain that the black-haired boy that looked so much like Mieren was Cye's brother, their minds echoing one another so closely. If one could speak the demon tongue so fluently, then surely the other could as well.

Her eyes caught a ghost of an image in her peripheral vision and she spun instantly, seeing only empty air. Her mind reconstructed what she had glimpsed so fleetingly, a shaggy mane of black hair falling heavily around a pale face, dark eyes hidden behind the loose locks and a raven black cloak hanging heavily around a thin figure. Panting slightly, she continued to search, chest tightening when soft, deep laughter tickled the edges of her hearing.

---

Dais remained hunched forward as he staggered through the endless blackness, occasionally tearing his gaze from the fogs to glance nervously at his three friends, thankful that they weren't paying attention to him. During his time in the Dynasty under Talpa's control, he had had only brief moments of freedom where his mind had been his own and he had made the most of it. Towards the end when they had been fighting the Ronins, he had remembered nothing at all and was infinitely grateful for that one blessing. For more than five hundred years, he had been hiding something from his friends. Almost fifty-three years had gone by since that secret had grown exponentially, and still he had said nothing. Now, his illusion unraveled in the wasteland around him, he kept shooting nervous looks at Sehkmet as they pressed ever deeper into the frozen nothingness, his best friend hanging stiffly from the arms he had looped around Dais and Cale. Anubis only peered around worriedly, effectively blind in the darkness and trusting Cale to lead him safely through the nightmare they were trapped in.

"I s-see s-something," Sehkmet chattered, trembling fiercely. Dais couldn't blame him. Sehkmet had never been able to stand low temperatures and it was colder here than were the Mountains of Omnipotence in Mieren's home dimension. Anubis didn't look to be doing much better.

"W-w-where?" Anubis asked through a locked jaw, tightening his grip on Cale and pulling himself a little closer for the warmth he so desperately needed. Cale was the only one of the group not suffering from the severe temperatures, but unlike the others, Dais was unwilling to admit to needing help. He did not want the others near him.

"Over th-there," he stammered, pointing vaguely towards a whirlwind of mists centered above a single unmoving lump on the frigid dusty grounds.

Dais's gaze shifted slightly towards the indicated mound. Breath catching in his throat, he staggered towards the whirlwind of mist, mouth working silently when saw the still form. Without waiting for the others acknowledgement, he darted into the boiling fogs, hissing angrily when his skin instantly blackened under the burning whiteness. He only slowed enough to throw the limp form over his shoulders before careening out of the other side of the cloud with his unmoving cargo. Skidding to a halt, he deposited the chill form gently on the ground and began checking for signs of life, only looking up once when he heard Cale approach with Sehkmet and Anubis hanging from his shoulders.

"W-who is it?" Anubis choked out, completely blinded by the darkness.

"Mieren," Cale answered numbly, unable to tear his gaze from the battered and half-melted figure at his feet.

Dais flinched in agreement, understanding his friend's thick voice. None of them had ever believed that Mieren would fall so quickly, so easily. Over a decade ago, she had fought her double for hours on end before losing ground. For them to have found her in this state, she had to have been lying in the fogs for several hours, unconscious judging by the still bleeding stumps ending three of her limbs prematurely. Had she been awake, she would have healed herself. She had lost to her other half in a matter of minutes after they were defeated. He nearly jumped out of his skin when she stirred slightly in his arms, clouded ruby eyes rolling slowly to meet his own molten gaze.

"I… I'm sorry," she breathed, a single tear sliding down the melted scales of her cheeks. Her next words were barely audible even in the complete silence. "I tried." Dais opened and closed his mouth several times before he managed to force his throat to work.

"It's not your fault," he murmured, trying to sound comforting. His words sounded like a goodbye even in his own ears. "Sehkmet…"

"He can't do anything," Mieren growled, slowly pushing herself out of his arms with what little remained of her liquefied and incinerated wings. "She shielded us, but only our innate elemental abilities, the only things that would have worked here. She's taunting us. She knows that we haven't the strength to force any magic to work here, to shatter the shields. We haven't the strength to do anything in the astral plane. Nothing is the same here. We couldn't have done anything even had we not been here." She trailed off at a sharp crack that resounded endlessly through the still air, turning betrayed eyes up to Dais's upraised hand. Another tear slipped from her glazed eyes. She flinched again as he lowered his hand, expecting to be slapped again.

"For the last time, this isn't your fault," Dais snapped, voice quavering slightly as he struggled to sound harsh. He stubbornly ignored his friend's incredulous gazes. Mieren was going into shock and he couldn't think of any other way to snap her out of it. "Now, you obviously know where we are. Tell us how to get out of here."

"We can't," she whimpered, eyes dulling slightly.

"Then tell us what you know about this place," Cale spat, beginning to understand Dais's tactics. He nudged Anubis gently in the ribs. Anubis jerked slightly, incredulous expression quickly hardening into something that might have appeared dangerous had his jaw not been chattering so fiercely.

"Well?" he snarled, only managing to maintain his steely composure when Cale squeezed his shoulder encouragingly.

"It was only theorized to exist three thousand years ago when the sorcerers were looking for something they could use in the Demon War, when all of the created weapons of war became angry and rebelled after the War of the Sorcerers. They only thought it might exist because they couldn't explain where the elementals had originated. The theory was not supported. It was too weak, explained too little and was made in ignorance. But at the same time, it was correct. This is the elemental homeland." She paused, turning stiffly to glare at the boiling fogs around her, flecks of frozen blood raining to the barren earth from her trembling form. She gave no indication whether or not she had seen their shocked expressions as one by one, they slowly came to the understanding of why they had been shielded. "The elementals are not beings of magic and do not have such forces in their realm. Their powers work in every plane of existence because this realm is only slightly off from those with which we are familiar. Only two of the three dimensions that make up any area of existence coincide with what we're familiar with. One is based on magic and the other on the elements. I'll be damned if I know where the third one goes. I'm unfamiliar with that particular 'direction' and I can track the dimensions up to the seventh level."

"And these fogs?" Sehkmet choked out.

"They are the essence of the elemental power, the force that created the elementals themselves. But some of the elements are not compatible, leaving the combined essences extremely unstable. Could shred a dimension in a heartbeat if loosed out of the astral plane. Sound familiar?"

"But it looks like what Lanfear was using against us," Cale stammered.

"And what we were fighting thirteen years ago when the dimension cracked and touched the astral plane," Mieren murmured, features hardening as she regained her composure. "Where do you think my other half has been for the past thirteen years?" She froze, eyes narrowing as she regarded Dais with a considering expression. He stiffened immediately, silently praying that she would keep what she knew to herself and sighing softly in relief when Anubis distracted her with another question.

"How did she survive all of these years?"

A considering look passed across Mieren's features as her eyes passed across her profusely bleeding ankles and stub of a left arm. Her eyes narrowed in speculation and confusion as the bloodflow slowly ebbed and stopped without her command, the scales along her charred serpentine form slowly mending themselves. She opened her mouth to respond, clicking her jaw shut as she reconsidered how to answer.

"I have no idea."

Dais cracked his jaw to object to her claims of ignorance, remaining silent only when her eyes roamed over his face curiously, her lips twitching. He struggled to harden his features, wondering how long she had been aware of his secret. Her lack of surprise proved to him that she had seen through his deception long ago, but for some reason had not said anything. His contemplations were cut short by Mieren's sudden vehemence.

"We have to keep moving," she snapped, raising hollow eyes to the swirling clouds around them. She tensed slightly, shifting her weight slightly on her stumps as though preparing to move quickly, eyes never leaving the encroaching fogs. "Rowen and Touma are here," she whispered, eyes glazing. "I can feel it."

Without waiting for the others to acknowledge her statement, she turned jerkily on the bloody nubs of ankles and began moving stiffly into the darkness. Dais was the first to gather his wits and follow, pulling a half-frozen Sehkmet along in his wake. Cale shrugged and followed more slowly, careful not to let Anubis trip on the uneven stony ground. They staggered to a halt when Mieren swerved unerringly into a bank of mists, standing rigidly as her hide blistered and bulged violently beneath her mostly melted scales. Glittering flecks of white began swirling through the fogs and blanketing the frozen stone, flashes of red accenting the colorless sparkle. Dais shook his head numbly, recognizing the shattered scales and flakes of frozen blood for what they were. He reached forward to pull her free, eyes misting in pain when his skin blackened and peeled almost instantly. Mieren only pulled free of his grasp and walked into the clear air lethargically. Only hesitating to gather their attention with her eyes, she pivoted unsteadily and chose another direction, walking through walls of fog rather than bother to find ways around them.

After traveling in what seemed to be a random direction for what felt like several hours to the exhausted group, Dais nervously cleared his throat. Demanding looks from his friends prompted him to ask what they all were thinking.

"Um, Mieren?"

Silence answered him and he sighed uneasily, still holding his scorched arm gingerly to his chest. Sehkmet poked him between the shoulder blades, his eyes flashing sharply in the absolute darkness. Grimacing slightly, Dais turned to Mieren again.

"Where are we going?" he asked uncertainly. Her rough answer caused Anubis to pale and grip Cale's shoulder tenaciously.

"Zairian's Ledge."

---

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Outlands

Part 3

By Mieren

---

White Blaze raised his head cautiously, his too intelligent eyes closing slowly when an imperious order resounded through his head once again. He rose stiffly to his feet and shook mightily, emptying his fur of the leaves and twigs that had become lodged in the thick white mat. Chimera huffed angrily as she appeared out of the nearby trees. Hours ago, they had received Ritsuko's strange order while they were hunting and had been running ever since, the message still echoing weakly through the air.

They had stopped a moment ago upon hearing a soft order from the ground below them. Uncertain as to who had sent it, they had hidden briefly in the surrounding brush, waiting for the danger they had been warned of to pass. For several minutes, they had remained motionless and silent. The latest echo of Ritsuko's desperate message had roused them from their positions, sending them once again towards a destination that they could sense far in the distance.

Echoes of their three cubs' minds rang in their heads as they drew nearer to the location that they knew did not exist. Flame's fierce roar resounded angrily through the trees, alerting them that he and Shadow were drawing nearer. White Blaze knew instinctively that Mist was approaching from the south, her powerful strides bringing her nearer to them faster than her siblings. Her brothers were far stronger than she was, but she was easily the swiftest of the three, not that it mattered much where they were going.

A flash of blue caught his attention, making White Blaze skid to a halt, Chimera falling into a defensive crouch by his side. Before them stood a sleek tiger, stripes so dark as to refuse illumination by the fiery sun above, remaining darker than the caves under the Dynasty where he had been imprisoned so long ago. The rest of his fur, where it should have been orange or white, shone in a brilliant blend of blues, occasional ripples of silver shining brightly from the strange coat. Oblivious to the extraordinary coloration, White Blaze moved back, both intrigued and terrified of the great cat's impossible eyes. Only the purest obsidian was visible from beneath the graceful brows, no whites or irises tainting the unadulterated black. It didn't help calm his or Chimera's nerves when they noticed that the blue tiger was unmistakably grinning.

The blue cat was bowled to the ground when Mist appeared suddenly, regaining his feet easily and subduing the smaller snow leopard with only a quick glance. He let out a noise that was half growl, half purr, waiting patiently with his onyx eyes locked in a northward direction. Mere minutes passed before Shadow and Flame appeared, each of them staring at the strangely colored great cat before moving to stand beside their parents. Huffing importantly, the blue tiger turned lightly and moved unerringly towards the energy resonance that spoke of Zairian's ledge. More intrigued than worried, White Blaze followed, breaking into a steady lope and rumbling loudly at the others. Chimera was the first to move after him, their cubs falling into her wake immediately afterwards.

The blue tiger continued on their course until they reached a cliff, vanishing silently in a swirl of black fogs to leave the five large cats to stare after him patiently. Unconcerned by the much larger cat's disappearance, White Blaze settled down to wait, recognizing the mental patterns of the blue tiger as that of the warning they had received. His presence had undoubtedly been dangerous with the appearance of the black fogs. Even knowing the origin of the warning, he couldn't understand why the mental sending had come from beneath him instead of from some undeterminable position from beyond the dimension. He knew Zairian's messenger when he saw him even if his cubs did not. He paid his cubs and mate's irate growls little heed as he settled to the stony ground below. There was a reason they were here. He could wait.

---

Shin stumbled to a halt, eyes wide and jaw trembling. Len and Mouri skidded to a stop beside him, nearly causing Sage and Kayura to crash into them from behind. Vera, Katari and Ryoko gathered around the black-haired boy gracefully, though none of them could sense what was going on. Afraid to teleport and terrified that Lanfear was still hunting them, Ryo, Mia, Mana and Ritsuko watched the surrounding area fearfully while Mouri tried to pry some information out of the two boys who seemed to know what was going on. After pushing Ella and Nasuti towards the group, Akira and Gau disappeared into the trees to scout, not waiting for the others to figure out why the youngest children had stopped so suddenly. Before any questions could be asked, Shin spoke.

"Ritsuko."

"Have you found Kento?" she asked hopefully, quickly turning away from scanning the trees to face the young boy. Her husband had still not reappeared after having stayed behind to face Lanfear and she was starting to grow frantic. Her husband was strong, but even he could not stand up to such a dangerous opponent.

"No," he murmured, eyes going slightly unfocused as he stared pointedly at a nondescript area of ground just in front of him. Len was staring at the same spot.

"Then what's wrong?" she asked carefully, unable to see what they were so intently watching.

"He wants to talk to you," Len murmured, pointing to the bare soil.

Before she could ask who he was talking about, a swirl of black mist rose from the ground, exploding into a whirlwind that died out almost instantly, leaving behind an enormous blue tiger. Inhaling sharply, she stepped back, eyeing the massive head that was level with her own. She nearly swore when it grinned.

"**Guardian,"** he murmured respectfully, ducking his head slightly. **"Can you contact the armor bearing one?"**

Ritsuko stared at him blankly, eyes blanking slightly as she struggled to untangle the flowing language of the beast. She turned imploringly to Mouri.

Still shocked by the beast's sudden appearance, Mouri tripped over his own feet, choking on an expletive as he scooted further away from what he had believed to be a great cat sent to them by some sorcerer. The massive blue head swung in his direction, jaw cracking into a wider smile. After several moments of fighting his vocal cords, he responded shakily as best he could in a tongue that he could barely understand.

"**Of which armor bearer speak you?"** he stammered. **"Taken, five have been."**

"**I speak of the Master of Life's Loyalties, the Descendant of the noble Shinji from times long past. He may call the staff from his current location with a little help. I ask that the Guardian relay a message for me, as I am unable to penetrate the astral plane."**

As Mouri stared blankly, futilely trying to translate what he had just heard, Len glanced away from the enormous tiger and turned to Ritsuko.

"He wants you to send your staff to Anubis and relay a message to him."

Ritsuko jerked in shock, not having realized that the boy could speak the demon tongue, cursing under her breath when Shin nodded in agreement. Vera looked at them quizzically but remained silent, the knowing look on her face leading Ritsuko and several of the others to believe that she could speak the demon tongue as well. Several voices could be heard muttering throughout the group. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she nodded quickly, summoning her staff to hand.

"**My thanks, Guardian,"** he murmured, ducking his head again. **"Send him the staff and we shall begin."** Shin quickly relayed the message, causing Mana to grumble louder. Mia patted her shoulder comfortingly but was completely ignored.

Chanting softly in her native language, she willed the staff to Anubis, swallowing uncertainly when a shadowy image of the golden staff remained in her trembling hands. Instantly, a misty apparition appeared beside the gargantuan blue tiger, a golden staff in hand and a mortified expression on the deathly pale face. He took one look at the tiger and scooted away from him, eyes straying quickly towards the phantom staff in Ritsuko's hands.

"I'm assuming you need something," Anubis muttered sarcastically, eyes narrowing unhappily as he looked at the blue tiger again. "You realize that the others probably think I'm dead. My body collapsed back in the astral plane, you know."

"**I'd not have called you had I not needed your assistance,"** the tiger murmured, obsidian eyes unblinking. **"I regret having to separate your soul from your body in such a fashion, but the need for your heritage is great."**

Anubis blinked, brow furrowing as he desperately translated the words. He smiled gratefully when Shin acted as the tiger's translator and repeated the words in Japanese.

"What do you need?" he asked slowly, watching interestedly when Len translated his question into the demon tongue and making a mental note to ask Mieren why she had taught them that language.

"**Use the staff to speak through the astral plane to your ancestor's homeland. Call to those born in nature who knew your ancestor. Tell them to go to Zairian's Ledge."**

Anubis opened his mouth numbly, eyes turning slowly to look at something that the others could not see. He had to take several breaths before he could steady himself enough to do as asked, the golden staff in his hands flaring into copper flames as he spoke unsteadily through it. His eyes slowly grew wider as the responses to his query quickly grew to overwhelming numbers, all of them echoing one another. _We're coming._

"They're coming," he said shakily, uncertain if he wanted a response.

"**Good,"** the tiger purred softly, turning lightly and trotting towards the trees.

"Just one question," Anubis called suddenly, beginning to fade with the increasing distance between the tiger and his misty form. "Who did I just call?" Before Len could translate, the tiger paused, glancing over his shoulder with strangely knowing eyes that caused Anubis to wilt where he stood.

"**The descendants of those who raised your ancestor, protected him. They cared for and respected him. They will serve your bloodline well,"** he murmured, vanishing in a burst of black mist before another word could be uttered. Without his presence, Anubis disappeared as well. The golden staff in his hands vanished in a flash of light, an echoing burst of illumination announcing the solidification of the true staff in Ritsuko's trembling hands.

Sage stood silently for several seconds, staring at the empty ground where his friend had stood. Finally, his temper got the better of him and he exploded.

"What in the hell is it with Zairian's Ledge?" he snapped, eyes flaring emerald in his blind rage. Mouri took a defensive step back. "Why are we sending everyone there? The cats and now an army of only God knows what!"

"It's a place of magical resonance, I think," the elfin sorcerer muttered, ducking behind Gau for safety when Sage stiffened angrily.

"Not quite," Ritsuko breathed, eyes drifting back to the ground in a futile wish for her husband to reappear. She knew that he would have reappeared by now if he had survived the encounter. Until this unholy battle was over, she had to keep her wits about her. She was no use as a simpering widow. She would grieve later.

"What do you mean?" Ella asked before her father could erupt again.

"It's wherever magical energies flow most powerfully through a dimension at any given point in time," Len responded carefully, eyes glued to the ground. His jaw clenched slightly when he finished, features tightening slowly as several seconds ticked on in silence. Vera and Shin moved to his side, eyes locked on the same patch of ground.

"But why are we sending everyone there?" Sage grumped unhappily. Several shrugs and blank looks circulated through the group, causing him to grumble louder.

"What are you looking at?" Gau asked suddenly, eyes flashing to a pale peridot as he strained to sense what the three ten-year-olds were studying so intently. Not sensing what they were so absorbed with, he could only wait patiently.

"A water elemental is following us," Shin murmured, placing one hand on the ground hesitantly. "But it won't speak to us."

"It's too strong to be an elemental," Len argued immediately. Vera shook her head slowly.

"It's not that," she mumbled, eyes fearful. "It's gone mad."

"Elementals can't go mad," Shin countered. "It's not possible."

"For the last time, it is NOT an elemental," Len spat, baring his teeth slightly in frustration. "And Vera's right. It is mad."

"Who cares what it is or isn't?" Ryo growled, pulling Shin and Len apart before they tackled one another. "Is it dangerous?" Shin glared at him angrily.

"Elementals are not aggressive unless provoked," he snapped. Len scowled.

"It's not an elemental! They're not that strong!"

"Does it matter?" Vera whimpered. "It's insane."

"Knock it off," Kayura growled, looking around worriedly. Her eyes occasionally flickered to the bare patch of ground the children were staring at. "While we have a few minutes reprieve, we need to decide what to do."

"Agreed," Mana said stiffly, laying one hand firmly on Len's shoulder. He looked up at her with hollow eyes. Mana's expression softened slightly when she saw the helplessness and fear on the youth's face. "Earlier, you said that Cye hadn't exactly lost. What did you mean by that? Where is he?"

"I'm not sure exactly," he murmured, looking to Shin for help. "I know that he was running from Lanfear just before his presence vanished altogether."

"What about Kento?" Ritsuko interrupted, picking up speed as she continued worriedly. "He's an elemental. He should be okay. Elementals c-can't die. They j-just reform when you hurt them, right?"

Shin swallowed roughly when Len made no move to answer, speaking hesitantly when Ritsuko's troubled gaze settled on him. "He kind of left before he was hurt. But I can't sense him anymore. I don't really know what happened to him."

"He left something, though," Len murmured, looking at the ground uncertainly.

"What?" Akira prompted when he didn't elaborate. Len made a face.

"I'm not sure," he muttered apologetically. "You see… uh… the thing under the ground…"

"The elemental," Shin grumbled.

"…kind of has it at the moment," Len finished, pretending he hadn't heard the irritated correction.

"And how do we get it back?" Gau asked testily, frowning angrily at the ground. "Uncle Kento wouldn't have left anything for us if it weren't important."

"Whoever's the strongest Water Master in the group should ask," Mouri suggested, earning himself a foul look from Len.

"It's not an elemental!"

"Then you ask it!" Shin spat.

"Fine," Len grumbled, sinking quickly into the ground and stopping abruptly when Vera caught his arm.

"Are you nuts?" she asked somewhat hysterically. "That thing is insane!"

"I'll go with him," Mouri said quickly, worried that they were wasting valuable time. He glanced to the ground nervously and prodded it with his mind, biting his lower lip when it didn't even ripple in response. Despite his efforts, he had never managed to control the elemental abilities bordering his own. Akira muttered something thankfully unintelligible and snapped the earth open with his mind, moving over to stand beside Mouri and Len.

"Shall we?" he asked in a strained voice, glancing at the young boy and the elfin sorcerer beside him.

Len nodded and dropped into the earth almost before Vera relinquished her death grip on his arm, Akira following in close pursuit with Mouri behind him in a summoned stone sphere. He erupted suddenly into the clearing Len had opened deep in the earth, making a note to himself to interrogate everyone of Mieren's bloodline about their elemental abilities. Squinting wildly, he grumbled something softly and summoned a small globe of fire to hand to illuminate the cavern, attaching it to a nearby wall. He gasped when his eyes landed on the entity only feet from Len.

Nearly eight feet high at the shoulder stood what appeared to be a horse consisting entirely of water, the silvery form shimmering eerily in the meager golden light. A single massive horn decorated the sleek forehead, extending over two feet in a gentle spiral before coming to a point. A flowing mane fell heavily along the neck, the almost silken strands reaching the surprisingly slender knees. Accenting tufts of would-be fur fell heavily around the glittering hooves. A matching tail swung gracefully behind the massive stallion, the fine point of a tip almost brushing the ground. Too-intelligent eyes shifted slightly to lock onto the golden flames banishing the darkness, narrowing scornfully. Akira blanched and stepped back, bumping into Mouri as he retreated, his eyes never leaving the tip of the massive horn.

Len broke the silence bluntly. "You have something that I want."

"**That which was in the hands of the earth shall leave the possession of the neighboring powers only when taken by a power of the light which must not be swallowed by the eternal darkness of the realms."**

"Did you catch that?" Akira asked numbly, straining his mind to understand the conversation and failing miserably.

"Not as such, no," Mouri mumbled, eyes wide at the complex sentence he had only minimally untangled in his mind.

A soft huffing resounded sharply through the cavern, the aquatic unicorn's eyes locked on them once more. Showing a great respect for the horn being leveled with them, they fell silent immediately.

"**Very well,"** Len responded coolly, not bothered by the language shift in the slightest. **"What would you have me do?"**

"**That which has been taken into the possession of the light will remain as such until he who is pure in the light claims that which is his,"** he responded in a soft baritone, returning his gaze to the young white-haired boy in front of him.

Len ground his teeth audibly, struggling not to scream. **"Give it to me."**

"**Would that I allow you to take that which is not yours, you still are not of the proper light to take that which is in my possession."**

"**Then who?"**

"**He who is of the proper light to own that which must not be swallowed by the eternal darkness of the realms."**

Opening his mouth to spit out something less than civil, Len advanced angrily, pulling up short just before pummeling the watery unicorn in front of him. His eyes narrowed slightly in concentration and he spun on his toes and stalked over to where Akira and Mouri stood rigidly. Snagging Akira's hand, he started back.

"Come on," he growled, tightening his grip and applying more strength into pulling when Akira hesitated before following. "He says he wants someone of the proper light to take whatever it is he has. Since your father left it, I'm assuming you can take it without a problem."

"You sure about that?" Akira asked slowly, eyes darting towards the beast towering above him, the thing wearing what could only be called a smug look. Len didn't answer him, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the unicorn's clouded eyes.

"**Give whatever you have to him,"** he said firmly, nodding his head towards the muscular figure attempting to hide behind him. **"If Kento had it, then his son has a right to it as well."**

Nearly opaque luminescent eyes blinked at him as if bored, but Len held his ground, matching the unicorn stare for stare. Several tense moments passed before he responded in a bemused voice.

"**The earth master is of the proper light,"** he murmured, his softly echoing voice standing Akira's hair on end. **"Extend your right arm, demon of the earth."**

"Hold out your right hand," Len repeated.

"Why?" Akira asked suspiciously, trying to move behind Len again. The thing liked the kid, not him.

"He's going to give you whatever he has," Len responded testily, pushing Akira in front of him forcefully and jerking out the older man's arm roughly.

Still looking doubtful, Akira shook Len loose and held his arm out steadily. Before he could even blink, a cord of water shot out of the stone below him and wrapped around his extended arm, holding his arm in place from just behind his wrist up to his shoulder. Yelping in protest, he tried to pull free, succeeding only in slipping his feet in place on the dusty stone. Mouri rushed to his side, blazing with summoned fires as he struggled to force the water to relinquish its hold. His powers being far weaker than the watery unicorn's, he was unable to shift the liquid bonds.

Len glanced briefly at the unicorn and nodded, pulling Mouri away from Akira forcefully and holding him back while the elfin sorcerer stared at him with an utterly dumbfounded expression painting his delicate features, astonished that the boy was that strong.

"What are you doing?" he asked stiffly.

"Keeping you out of the way," Len responded calmly, placing a shield around his captive's mind leisurely. Mouri blinked at him, opening his mouth to try to pry some information out of the youth only to be cut off by Akira's horrified scream.

"Len! Tell him to stop!" he cried out, bucking furiously.

Golden flames shot up around him suddenly as he began slashing at the bonds wildly, the water not affected by his blows any more than the surrounding air. Whimpering loudly, he began straining to retract his arm from the unicorn's reach, the smooth tip of the long silvery horn pressed firmly against the back of his right wrist. Len watched with a fixed expression as the razor-like tip pierced the skin just behind Akira's wrist and continued to descend. Akira only grunted stiffly when the horn passed completely through his trapped arm, panting heavily as the massive equine head lowered slowly and steadily until its forehead rested against his arm. Blood trickled down his arm and the watery bonds, but neither the shimmering horn nor the sleek head was clouded by the crimson drops.

Len grunted softly with the effort of holding Mouri in place, the elf struggling fiercely enough to force him to tense his muscles seriously.

"Let me go!" Mouri spat, twisting again in the boy's firm grasp. "Your sister was right. That thing is mad. We have to get it away from Akira."

"This hurts, you know," Akira called out crossly, eyes never leaving the horn piercing his forearm just behind his right wrist. He inhaled sharply when the stallion began pulling back, blood flowing freely down Akira's arm as the long silver horn was slowly pulled free.

"**Your bloodline is strong,"** he murmured, backing into the cave wall and melting into the stone. The last of his words echoed through the cave as he vanished completely from view. **"You of the proper light must protect that which you have been given. Fall not to the eternal darkness of the realms, young demon of earth."**

Len nodded to himself and released his grip on Mouri, who in turn slapped him and stormed over to Akira. The watery bonds dissolved almost instantly under his will alone, leaving Akira free to jerk his arm back and cradle it gingerly against his chest.

"You're as mad as that _thing_ was," he spat, pressing a wadded fistful of his shirt against his wrist. He allowed Mouri to pull the cloth away to inspect the wound, glaring daggers at Len as he dissolved the woven globe of fire and began raising them towards the surface. Len was too busy staring at where the watery unicorn had been to notice the looks he was receiving, his eyes shifting slightly to follow the movement of the stallion as they neared the surface.

Daylight blinded them suddenly, Ella's worried voice greeting them before they were able to readjust their eyes to the brilliance.

"Did you get it?" she asked anxiously, biting off a curse upon getting a better view of her husband. "You're hurt! What happened down there? Gau!"

Upon hearing his name, Gau made a straight-line dash for Akira, knowing that if he didn't do something quickly, Ella was going to hurt him.

"There was something that looked like an elemental but spoke the demon tongue," Mouri began, waiting for the barrage of questions to begin. He blinked in shock when everyone waited silently for him to continue. Clearing his throat roughly, he continued. Gau was too busy fussing with Akira's arm to pay strict attention, the younger man's worried features quickly shifting to utter confusion and disbelief. "Strangely enough, since neither elemental or demon would dare try it, the thing took on the form of a unicorn meaning that it was either both or neither. Len spoke to it and asked for whatever it was that Kento left. It wouldn't give whatever it had to him, so Len told him to give it to Akira. Len held me back while it bound Akira with some sort of watery shackle and ran its horn through his arm. It disappeared immediately afterwards."

Several dark looks were leveled with Len as he conferred quietly with Shin and Vera, none of which seemed to care or even notice that they had become the center of attention. Akira and Gau were too busy arguing softly to notice any of the glares circulating through the group. Gau's frustrated voice broke the silence a moment later.

"Damn it, Akira! I don't know what you're bitching about! There's not so much as a scratch on you!"

"The hell there isn't!" Akira retorted angrily. "Then why am I bleeding?"

"How should I know? You're not hurt!"

"He's right, Akira," Vera called out suddenly, turning her dark eyes on the two men arguing loudly. "You're not bleeding. You're just bloody. There's a difference."

"What do you mean 'just bloody'?" Mouri asked slowly. "I saw what happened. There's no way his arm can be okay."

"If he had wanted to hurt you, he would have. The hole was gone the moment the horn was pulled free," Len called over his shoulder, returning to his conversation with Shin. After a moment, Vera joined her brother, occasionally gesturing slightly or huffing angrily. She paused to glance around and wave towards Katari and Ryoko, both of which quickly trotted over to join the discussion. He blinked, hesitating on relaying the last thing he had heard, deciding not to block the message. "Zairian sends his regards."

Akira stared at the group of children for a moment with a flatly disbelieving expression, grumbling something under his breath that caused Gau to elbow him sharply. Inventing a few slightly more imaginative phrases than those he had just been using, he extended his arm towards Mouri speculatively, watching Gau redden slightly.

Mouri threw him a look that could have cut steel before summoning a small plume of water to clean the crimson streaks off of Akira's arm. Ritsuko pushed him aside when he suddenly stiffened, his eyes widening and jaw hanging slack. Her features froze in shock, face paling to match Akira's unnaturally pallid complexion.

Set in the back of Akira's arm just behind his wrist was Kento's armor orb, glowing with an unnatural golden tinge. Delicate gold threads extended from the glittering sphere, curling around his arm like tiny intertwining vines. The swirling pattern extended onto the back of his hand and down the back of his fingers, ending just beyond his elbow in a ring composed of the ends of the twisting vines in an almost Celtic pattern.

Eyes disbelieving, he ran the tips of his fingers along the pattern and across the orb, turning questioning eyes to Mouri for an explanation. When the elfin sorcerer only shrugged helplessly, he moved woodenly towards Ryo and Sage, Ella and Ritsuko trailing him protectively. Gau peeked over his friend's shoulder while Sage prodded the orb gingerly, as though afraid it might break. After a moment, he shook his head slowly.

"I don't know what to say," he murmured uncertainly. "I can't even sense that the orb is in your arm despite the fact that I'm staring at it."

Ryo lowered his head slightly to get a better look at the orb, Kayura and Mia peering over his shoulders. Suddenly struck by a thought, he prodded the golden sphere gently with the tip of one finger, sending a small spark of ruby flames across the globe.

"Can you feel that?" he asked slowly, jerking back when the vines along Akira's arm suddenly flared gold.

"Yes," Akira replied testily. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to set my arm on fire."

"Quit complaining," Len called out loudly. "We got what we were after. Now see if you can use the thing. It was fused into the back of your arm for a reason."

"Fused?" Akira repeated numbly. Taking a deep breath to keep from killing Len, not that he was sure he'd be able to if he tried, he looked to Ryo and Sage once more. "And how am I supposed to use it?"

"Just try the usual song and dance," Ryo suggested, shrugging slightly.

"Uh, yeah," Akira said somewhat unsteadily, staring numbly at the softly pulsing golden orb behind his wrist. "Armor of Hardrock. Dao Gi."

A cluster of people quickly formed around Akira expectantly. The armor, however, decided to disappoint them, only flowing from the armor orb like so much molten gold to cover his hand and forearm, stopping just short of his elbow.

"Oh, yeah, that's going to be helpful in battle," he grumped sarcastically.

Mana opened her mouth to ask him about a hunch when she was suddenly distracted, her voice catching in her throat when Shin's startled squall rang through the air suddenly. Len's irritated command followed immediately afterward.

"I told you to hold still, Shin!"

"You should have told me it was going to burn like that!"

"I did! Besides, you can't justify yelping like that when Vera didn't even utter a squeak of protest."

"That's because my vocal cords weren't working at that particular moment," Vera murmured in Shin's defense. Len only huffed angrily, unaware that they had just gained the attention of every person not already in their small group.

"I don't see you doing that to yourself," Shin spat angrily.

"You already know the reason for that. Vera insisted that she claim the powers of our bloodline. She said that she was stronger in that particular matter and I agree with her," Len muttered, temper slowly abating. Realization suddenly dawned on him and he turned slowly, the blood slowly draining from his face as he raised guilty jade eyes to meet his audience. "Um, hi."

"What did you just do?" Mana asked softly, the edges of her temper burning at the edge of her trembling voice. Len swallowed nervously and edged back ever so slightly.

"Prepared a counterattack?" he offered meekly, nervous smile quickly fading away under his sister-in-law's furious glare. Mana drew breath to demand a response when a flash of silver from Shin's direction stopped her short. Slowly, fearfully, she shifted her gaze to stare at the younger of her two sons, Shin quickly folding his arms in a defensive manner.

"Len," she began angrily, stopping thickly when Akira brushed past her stiffly and jerked Shin's right arm out into view. Set in the back of his arm just behind his wrist was a crystal orb, pulsing softly with a fading turquoise light that had once been the reigning color of the Armor of Torrent. Wrapped around his arm was the image of a heavily ridged silver dragon, its head resting on the back of Shin's hand and the long barbed tail wrapping around his upper arm, tip brushing his shoulder. Nodding almost to himself, Akira turned to face Vera.

"And you?" he asked stiffly.

Vera drew herself up importantly, holding out her right arm almost defiantly. Set behind her wrist was the deep blue orb of the Armor of Strata. The coloration continued to deepen as she held her arm steady, darkening into a blue that was nearly black, flecks of silver and opal glittering innocently against the deep navy field. Around her arm in a delicately swirling pattern were flashes of various shades of blues, accented with the occasional streak of silver, pearl and obsidian.

"Where did you even get those?" Mouri asked tersely. Len smirked.

"Someone left them as ornaments on the TV." Several people smacked Ryo in the back of the head.

Hissing angrily, Sage pushed past them and seized Katari's arm, his features slowly relaxing as he gained a clear view of his daughter's smooth wrist. Before anyone could ask, both Ryoko and Len held up their hands to show the absence of brilliantly colored armor orbs.

"And what exactly was the point of doing that, anyway?" Akira growled, eyes tight with poorly concealed fury. "They don't even work!"

As if to prove him wrong, Vera held her arm out tentatively and clapped her left hand over the globe set in her arm, eyes flashing navy as she strained to control the armor. Instantly, molten metal flowed from beneath her hand and coated her right arm up to her shoulder in a sleek layer that looked something like a second skin. Searching streams of metal continued to swirl around her, forming quickly into a darker version of the subarmor of Strata, the white sections of the armor appearing as the deepest obsidian and silver accenting the deep navy coloration in almost delicate swirls. All in all, the appearance of the subarmor was breathtaking, accenting Vera's dark hair and sharp cheekbones to give her a graceful, and almost murderous, appearance.

Shin followed suit quickly just to prove that he could, the sleek subarmor appearing around him in a matter of a few heartbeats. Where the coloration had once been a perfect sea blue and white, silver shone brightly in an almost scaled appearance, pale echoes of ridges and spikes decorating his back and arms. Akira made a face.

"Now I just feel stupid," he grumped, glaring daggers at the white and gold armor that stopped abruptly at his elbow.

"Fused," Mana said suddenly, remembering what she had been going to ask earlier before being interrupted. "Len said the orb was fused into the back of your arm. Before, it had been an independent object, the base point of a spell, right?" she asked, looking to Mouri curiously and receiving a slow, thoughtful nod. She pursed her lips slightly before continuing. "Then that would mean that the words used to summon the armor were a type of simple spell. One that would now be useless since the armor orb is now set in your arm."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Akira asked slowly.

"Your willpower alone should be enough to activate it," she answered in a voice strangely devoid of emotion, eyes shifting to her son. "Right, Shin?"

"Indeed," he murmured, staring intently at the sleek plates of almost molten silver covering him, eyes troubled.

Still muttering darkly under his breath, Akira did as instructed, willing the armor to do something. The answering flash of heat nearly unhinged him, molten armor flooding over him to form his subarmor almost instantly. Like the other two subarmors present, his was strangely sleek and tight fitting, almost like a second skin of molten gold set on a pearly white. Akira's eyes widened in shock and confusion almost instantly, his gaze darting over to Vera and Shin. His expectant eyes quickly spotted the uneasiness and bewilderment painting their faces.

"You feel it too," he said simply, not needing to see their answering nods.

"Feel what?" Ella asked thickly, placing one trembling hand on her husband's tensed shoulder.

"I don't know."

"Len, what did you do to the armor?" Gau asked quickly, kneeling down beside Vera worriedly when she continued to stare into space with a blank look plaguing her young features.

"I only set the orbs in their wrists. It shouldn't be doing anything like this," he said defensively, curiously prodding Shin, who seemed to be too busy studying his armor to notice.

"Let's look at this logically," Ritsuko said softly, turning to Akira. "What do you feel exactly?" He shook his head jerkily.

"It feels almost like it's speaking to me. I can hear something in the back of my mind telling me that my armor can do more." A thought not his own appeared in his head suddenly, not by means of telepathy or magic. It was simply there.

-That is because it can, young earth master.-

Akira jumped, eyes wide and face paling. "Impossible. The earth elemental is gone, isn't it? I mean, didn't it disappear when it saved my dad?"

"What did you just hear?" Ryo demanded. "What are you talking about?"

"The earth elemental," Ryoko muttered, dark eyes glazing slightly. "He's really far from here, though. There are several dimensions between us, at the very least. I can barely sense him at all."

"Mouri," Shin asked suddenly. "How many elementals are there? How many have physical forms?"

"There are ten types of elementals, but I don't know how many of each kind are out roaming the dimensions. And they all have physical forms whenever they choose," he answered uncertainly, paling slightly. "A water elemental is in this dimension. You can sense him, can't you?" Shin nodded.

"Vera?" Nasuti asked quickly, kneeling down beside her husband at the girl's side. "It's just an air elemental. It's okay."

"It's not that," she murmured, the blood draining from her face. "We've stayed in one place for too long. He just told me that we're trapped."

"That's what the water elemental just said too," Shin said, voice growing hysterical. "And I was right, Len. That thing _was_ a water elemental."

"Damn it!" Akira snapped suddenly, eyes flaring with a preternatural golden light. "I knew you were around here somewhere, Dad! I don't know why you're hiding, but it's pointless! I know where you are!"

-Then you'll know enough to leave me alone, Akira. I'm busy.-

"Shit," Akira snarled, features degenerating into a vicious scowl.

"Well?" Ritsuko asked, eyes worried.

"He's okay, but he says he's busy doing something and that we should leave him alone," he spat, glaring daggers at the ground.

"We have more pressing matters to attend to," Mouri reminded them sharply.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to come around to that," a soft voice chuckled emotionlessly. "I swear, one little distraction and you're dead to the world around you."

Vera was the first to spin and launch herself at the source of Lanfear's voice, shifting to dragon form before she had fully pivoted. The deep blue armor around her swirled only minimally, shifting smoothly along with her skin to form what appeared to be a shaded set of metallic scales atop her usual thick hide. Taken aback by the unexpected armoring, Lanfear stumbled slightly and lost her perch in the upper limbs of the tree where she had been hiding. She hadn't fallen more than a few feet before unleashing an attack of her own, the misty blast colliding fully with Vera's exposed stomach as the girl continued to rise into the air. Her scream echoed through the dimension for an instant, her slender form dissipating into nothingness.

Lanfear had barely landed on the ground before a barreling silver projectile slammed into her side, sending her crashing through the nearest tree. Shin continued the assault viciously, not allowing their combatant the few vital moments she needed to gather her wits and regain her feet. Without thinking, he reverted to a more feral form, strangely glittering wings and sinuous tail extending behind him as he shifted abruptly into dragon form, vibrant silvery armor covering him like a second set of scales.

Roaring angrily, Akira leapt forward to enter the fray, stopping short when Len casually pushed him off balance as he passed, knocking him unceremoniously to the ground. He tried to regain his feet with no hope of success, Len keeping him, and all of the others who attempted to move towards the battle, pinned firmly to the ground with his willpower alone.

"What are you doing?" Sage spat, writhing more violently as his icy eyes roved across the whirlwind of fangs and claws in front of him, Lanfear having adopted her dragon form to match Shin. "Damn it, Len! Let us up!"

"I do only that which needs to be done," he murmured, eyes slowly fading out of focus. "You have not the power needed to engage in this battle, little brother."

"Ah shit," Ryo yelled furiously, continuing to buck against energies that neither he nor his friends could see. "This is all we need! Len, snap out of it!"

"_The water master, the young dragon, needs no help from those who have no notable powers in this, or any other, realm,"_ Len whispered, blank green eyes lowering to the ground. He seemed oblivious to the battle raging only a few paces beyond him, Shin and Lanfear matching each other blow for blow, the latter not having the time she needed to gather her powers. Instead of moving to help his nephew and quite possibly his best friend, Len only lowered himself to hands and knees, palms flattened to the ground. _"Rise, noble warrior."_

The reaction to this simple statement was instantaneous and terrifying. The ground below Shin and Lanfear erupted in a geyser of what appeared to be thick, mostly coagulated blood, semi-solid cords and streamers lashing out like barbed whips towards Lanfear's already bloody form. A pain-racked scream rang through the dusty air, flashes of fog shooting towards the pillar of congealed blood instinctively in retaliation. Time seemed to stand still as the tendrils of blood froze and went limp, falling to the ground as holes formed in the column around the foggy projectiles. The pillar slumped to the ground almost instantly, splashing outward in a great wave that froze at the apex of its burst. Len looked numbly to the unmoving crimson wave, the iridescent jade of his clouded eyes shifting to a pearly white as he spoke again over Lanfear's pained panting.

"_Not yet, young servant. Your opponent still stands."_

"_What is that thing, boy? What did you summon? That is not an elemental!"_

An answering voice rose out of the air and echoed around them in something beyond a baritone. **"I am neither of the light nor the dark. I am that which I wish to be. And young one, heed well the setting sun."**

Len rose smoothly to his feet, head swiveling towards the crimson and indigo streaks in the western sky announcing the setting of the sun. Shin nodded slightly in his direction as he resumed his attack, falling back obediently at some unseen signal.

The motionless wave of blood suddenly drew violently in on itself, rushing into a perfect sphere before reforming into a crimson unicorn, obsidian eyes flashing eerily in the meager light of the setting sun. Lanfear jerked away, summoning several tendrils of fog immediately but continuing to back away slowly. She hissed and leapt away fearfully when the hooves, mane and tail darkened to the same unnatural onyx, the unicorn still advancing slowly. Over a dozen ropes of fog lashed out towards the figure of blood, holes forming and closing around the whips as they passed through it. Screaming in frustration, Lanfear levied another attack, her entire being flaring white as she collected and unleashed the culmination of her powers.

An answering white flash erupted from within the bloody unicorn. The crimson and onyx coloration reverted into the purest crystalline, the watery form losing shape and soaking lifelessly into the earth. The moment the water splashed onto the cold ground, a shock wave of pure energy exploded from where the unicorn had stood, knocking everyone free of Len's mind control and throwing them several hundred yards from where they had lain. Only Len and Shin seemed unaffected by the blast, remaining emotionless and unmoving. Lanfear steeled herself, managing to remain upright throughout the blast but skidding backwards several paces despite her efforts. She was advancing again before the last ripples of the blast had faded from the air.

"You were lucky, boy," she snarled. "That _thing_ could have killed all of you."

"It wouldn't have hurt us," Shin murmured, abandoning Len's side to match her advance while the others regained their feet.

"No?" she asked silkily, pausing arrogantly. When Shin's eyes narrowed suspiciously, she continued. "Then what is it doing now?"

Eyes wide with disbelief, Shin turned to a horrible sight. Ryo, Sage and Kayura thrashed uselessly against shackles of shimmering crystal, the silvery unicorn standing unconcerned between them. Gau, Ella and Nasuti led the fiercest attacks against the crystalline beast, Akira straining to use his armor to amplify his powers. Their efforts proved to be utterly useless, the watery unicorn seeming impervious to their blows.

Shin remained rooted where he stood, torn between the decision to help his friends or continue fighting. Growling under his breath and praying that his friends could manage without him, he swung around to face Lanfear just in time to see several cords of fog descending on him at a terrifying rate.

"Coward!" he shrieked, leaping backwards frantically to evade the deadly whips. "Attacking from behind!" Despite herself, Lanfear flinched, one hand twitching towards her heart and a small white scar she and Mieren both still carried on their chests and backs alike.

"You were a fool to turn you back on me," she countered, regaining her steely composure almost instantly. Her lips curved upwards in a malicious smile. "And a fool to unleash such a creature on your friends. Oh, how they suffer."

Shin's eyes instinctively darted towards the unicorn, flashes of onyx beginning to appear and swirl through the once crystalline form. Tendrils of black fog extended in almost every direction from the ever-darkening creature, several of them interweaving to form the beginnings of an interdimensional gateway only a matter of inches from Ryo and Kayura. Akira lay several paces beyond them, silent and unmoving. Even unconscious, he was curled protectively around Ella, who lay bloodied and still beneath him. Sage had partially managed to free himself with Gau's assistance, but still remained bound by almost a half a dozen cords that continued to pull him inch by inch to stand by the forming gateway. Everyone else stood back helplessly as Mouri fought to reason with what appeared to be an elemental, his efforts yielding no results. For the first time since the shock wave, Shin noticed that they were screaming for Len's help.

Len seemed deaf to their cries, his eyes locked on the last traces of sunlight as the sun disappeared from sight. Without warning or apparent reason, he fell to his knees shrieking, arms curled around his abdomen fiercely. Slowly, painfully, he tore his arms from around his midsection and pressed his palms forcefully to his forehead, his cries growing increasingly desperate. Shin twitched guiltily, wishing he could do something.

Too late this time, Shin returned his gaze to his opponent, his scream rising in pitch and volume to match Len's pained howls. He lowered his head slowly, eyes glazing as they fastened on the twin cords of fog passing cleanly through his chest. The world around him seemed to darken and fade to blackness as his heart beat painfully, defiantly, in his chest. The last thing he heard were the cries from his mother and friends as the world around him faded into nothingness.

---

To Be Continued…

Seriously guys, review! I spent forever on this trying to keep the saga going after getting a few pleading requests. Show me that you appreciate my efforts. R&R! I swear that I'll abandon this fic if I get no reviews at all. I work 80 hour weeks and I want to know that at least my efforts are appreciated as I give up hours of sleep (getting about 4 a day now) to get this out. **-Please-** R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

Outlands

Part 4

By Mieren

---

Rowen groaned loudly and began the painful process of regaining his feet, wincing every time he stretched a section of half-healed skin. The fogs around him churned menacingly but did not close in, keeping several paces distance from where he stood swaying. More than slightly baffled at the strange behavior, he peered around for a passage in the perfect ring surrounding him. Not seeing one, he consented to sprint through the nearest bank, gasping in shock when the clouds parted for his charge. The sphere of clear air seemed to follow him. Emboldened, he sent out a weak mental shock wave, the strongest he could manage past the numerous shields plaguing him, and began moving towards the nearest mental echo. Touma.

He settled into a strenuous lope, silently praying that his son had survived long enough to be found. In his current form, he could take a great deal of punishment without fear of life-threatening injuries. He healed too quickly to worry about himself. He was more concerned with how his family and the Warlords were faring, knowing that none of them could heal themselves or any of the others under these conditions.

Unable to gage the time he had been unconscious, Rowen could only hope that the state of his partially healed injuries would be a good enough indication. With the slight limp he still sported, he could easily tell that his left heel was still missing for the most part. The two outermost fingers on his right hand had mostly reformed, but still had yet to separate themselves from his middle finger. Rowen scowled, not knowing how long he had had to regenerate, never having lost any extremities before in his new form. Assuming that the fogs had not entirely left him alone while he had been unconscious, there was no way he could judge the state of his skin's reformation.

Rowen jerked suddenly, shifting directions ever so slightly to the left. Without checking, he had known that he was going to miss his son if he continued along his previous course. He gnawed on his lower lip gently as he ran, so deep in contemplation that he occasionally forgot that he had no need to evade the boiling mists. His mind reeled furiously at him as he built up more speed, demanding to know how he had realized he was off course. Still mulling over the puzzle, he almost didn't realize that he had changed directions yet again.

"Damn it, Touma," he grumbled. "Hold still."

-He cannot. He is moving away from that which simply is.-

Rowen slipped and crashed to the ground, raising his partially healed hand slowly to his temple. _Something _had spoken to him. Not in so many words, but in tangled, riddled thoughts that his mind had been almost unable to decipher.

"Who are you?" he demanded stiffly, regaining his feet and resuming his lope. Whatever was speaking to him had obviously been following him for awhile, as he felt no more of a presence around him now than when he had awoken.

-I am neither of the light or the dark. I simply am.-

"That is not an answer!" Rowen raged.

-That is what the younger master informed me, yet there is nothing insufficient or inaccurate about my response.-

"There's nothing informative either," he grumbled, pausing to absorb what he had just heard. "What do you mean by 'younger master'?"

-The master who is not as old.-

"That's not what I meant! I want to know who you're talking about! Who is the 'younger master' and what is 'that which simply is'?"

-That which simply is exists, yet does not. I know not what the young master is called. He simply is that which he is.-

"Forget it," Rowen snapped testily, surging forward through another patch of fog with little respect for its menacing rolling. He could sense his son more clearly now and was unwilling to waste time arguing with something that may have been nothing more than an illusion or figment of his delirious mind.

A slight movement in the distance snapped his ruby eyes forward instantly, mind focusing on the hint of a silvery blue aura shining through the darkness. He had just pushed himself to a fiercer pace when he heard a faint echo from behind.

"Damn it, Rowen! Slow down!"

Shocked, he stumbled to a halt just before plunging into another bank of fog, turning incredulously to face three heat blotches closing in on him from the distance, two of them carrying something. A weak smile formed on his face when Dais skidded to a jerky stop beside him, eyes flashing red in the darkness. Starting slightly when he realized he had just seen two eyes on his friend, he tried to get a better look at the older man, thinking that his eyes were playing tricks on him. Noticing his gaze, Dais quickly ducked his head to force his hair to fully cover his face. His efforts were pointless, however, as Rowen's attention had already shifted to the scowling burden resting across Sehkmet's shoulders.

"About time you heard me," Mieren grumped unhappily, elbowing her ride sharply. Sehkmet flinched and set her down quickly, looking ready to jump forward if she couldn't maintain her balance on partially regenerated feet. "Hell, while you were sitting there talking to thin air, we almost caught up with you, but then you took off like a bat out of hell."

"Touma's just over there," he muttered defensively, jerking his head towards the darkness behind him. "I was going after him when something started talking to me."

"Define 'something'," Cale murmured quietly, eyes flickering to ruby and back to his usual dark blue spastically. Every now and then while his eyes were glowing crimson, he flinched, snapping his eyes shut and opening them again tentatively as though his vision was paining him. Though unconscious, Anubis appeared to be flinching as well, his lips moving as though he were speaking to someone that no one else could see. Cale appeared to be doing his best to ignore him.

"Air elemental," Touma supplied, appearing out of the darkness suddenly. Rowen nearly jumped out of his skin.

"And how would you know?" Rowen grumbled.

"It told me."

"How did you convince it to give a straight answer?" Touma's lips curved upwards into an almost mischievous smile, eyes close to dancing with mirth.

"You just have to ask in the same deranged, enigmatic way it talks to you," he chuckled softly. "It also helps if you use the demon or sorcerer tongues. It didn't really seem interested in speaking to me, though."

"Really?" Rowen drawled, one eyebrow arching slightly. "It was definitely talking about you when it mentioned the 'younger master' earlier."

"It might have been, but it mentioned the same thing to me before disappearing. I didn't get a chance to ask it who it meant. It said something about a young master who wasn't listening to him, or some such."

"That's different from what I heard." Rowen said slowly, eyes going out of focus as he scanned the gently rolling mists around them. His eyes stopped suddenly on something that no one, save Mieren and Touma, seemed to notice. _"What of the young master not of this realm or dimension?"_

"I don't think that was cryptic enough," Touma said slowly. "I had to ask much stranger questions than that to get a response."

-The second of the shadow's light called upon me once facing the forced avatar of this dimension. The shadow that would call upon our powers without consent now battles the second of the true bloods, the second of the first of the shadow's light, who has yet to cry to the first of the first for salvation.-

"Of course, why didn't I know that?" Rowen grumped unhappily, struggling to repeat the answer as closely as he was able in Japanese. Cale and Sehkmet exchanged stumped looks before looking to Dais, who only shrugged, face still hidden behind a mass of violet tinged white hair. Mieren straightened suddenly, one eyebrow arched in an inquisitive fashion.

"_Be that the second of the true bloods called upon the first of the first, would it be that he is calling upon the first of the true bloods?"_

-Yes, light from the shadows.-

"You understand that thing?" Cale spluttered, looking highly insulted. He winced again and snapped his eyes shut, opening them tentatively in a normal navy blue with a worried look creeping into his eyes.

"Of course I understand it," she sighed, her voice unsteady. "You've apparently forgotten who I am. I've dealt with elementals before, you must realize. It just basically said that Len was using his elemental abilities to fight Lanfear, who is using the powers of this dimension. Len apparently didn't do too well, because Shin is currently fighting and isn't asking Cye for help, for some reason or another."

Dais looked up hesitantly, looking as though he wanted to ask something but couldn't utter the words. Spitting out an oath, he spun on his toes to face the darkness, eyes narrowing with cold fury. Once again, Rowen attempted to get a better look at his face, again seeing nothing when the older man hunched over defensively. He was considering pulling the white-haired man upright when an explosion of light appeared above them, causing both Cale and Sehkmet to yelp in pain.

Before their eyes could readjust to the brilliance, it was gone, leaving behind only a mass of swearing and dull rustling.

"Get off of me, you pervert!"

"What are you yelling at me for? You used me to break your fall!"

"Would you two quit arguing and get the hell off of me?"

"Release the death grip on my breast and I will!"

"That's not me, Kayura."

"Ryo!"

"It's not me either!"

Blinking the last of the light out of his vision, Rowen edged over to the shouting to get a better view, jaw dropping when he saw what he was looking at. In a tangle of arms and legs were Sage, Ryo and Kayura, all of who had apparently landed directly on an unsuspecting Sehkmet. Cale was already beside them, blinking and squinting angrily as he attempted to see what was going on, his vision refusing to return as quickly as Rowen's had.

"What are you three doing here?" Mieren asked stiffly, her vision coming back almost as quickly as her husband's had. Kayura squinted up at her blankly for a moment before remembering that she too could see in the dark.

"Some sort of elemental attacked us and stuffed us through a gateway," she grumbled, gratefully accepting Mieren's outstretched hand and pulling herself jerkily to her feet, apparently badly bruised from her fall.

"Are Len and Vera okay?" Rowen asked suddenly, pulling Sage and Ryo to their feet somewhat abruptly, the latter of the two nearly falling on his face before finding his balance.

"What about Mana, Shin and Cye?" Touma interrupted before either of them could answer, absently helping a crushed Sehkmet off the ground.

"The last thing we saw was Len screaming obscenities, that he shouldn't know at his age, at the sunset before that watery thing pushed us through that little portal it summoned," Ryo muttered evasively. Sage gave him a cold look.

"There's a lot more and you know it," he snapped, looking more than slightly furious that Ryo had evaded the question. "Len may have appeared be cursing for no apparent reason, but he looked like he was in pain to me. Cye lost his mind and tried to fight alone earlier this evening after teleporting us to safety. We haven't seen him since." He paused, noticing that both Rowen and Touma had stiffened, eyes hollow. "Vera and Shin were both killed only a few minutes ago while trying to protect us. Because of them, everyone else was okay, last I saw."

A loud crack rang through the silence when Sage paused again, Rowen's fist penetrating several inches of the cold stone at his feet. He looked as though he wanted to punch the ground again, but decided against it after examining his shattered hand. Touma had only slumped slowly to the ground, eyes misting in denial. Mieren, however, looked strangely unperturbed.

"They're fine," she said absently. "What else is going on?"

Ryo jerked slightly at her casual statement, his jaw working silently for a few seconds before he managed to convince his vocal cords to work. "Kento disappeared and refuses to resurface after fighting once, but we know he's okay. A blue tiger told us to summon Anubis and told requested that he call his ancestor's companions, or something like that. I'm not exactly sure what it wanted. Then it told us to go to Zairian's Ledge. An elemental sent us here a few minutes after fusing an armor orb into Akira's arm. Len did the same thing to Shin and Vera a few minutes later."

"You mean the back of their right wrists?" Mieren asked softly.

"How did you know that?" Ryo stammered, falling into a nervous silence.

"It altered the armor somehow," Kayura tacked on when she didn't answer.

"To be expected," she answered absently, looking to the fogs as though they held the key to some terrifying secret. "Have they tapped into any of the other armors yet?"

"Not yet," Sage growled, recovering his composure. "What do you know?"

"That is not your concern," she snapped, eyes blazing. Exhaling noisily, she turned her glare towards Anubis, eyes narrowing slightly in consideration. "We should keep moving. We have to be standing ready at Zairian's Ledge before the others get there, which will be fairly soon with a little help."

"What do you mean by 'a little help'?" Cale asked uncertainly, wincing and hiding his eyes as though blinded by something that no one else could see. Both Sage and Dais flinched simultaneously and spun on the balls of their feet to face the same barren patch of stone several paces from them.

"Great," Rowen intoned numbly. "Now Sage is going mad too."

"I thought I saw something move," Sage muttered, eyes not shifting from where they were locked.

Sehkmet snorted loudly and shook his head, grumbling something about 'insane blondes' under his breath. Mieren shifted her gaze between the two unnerved men and nodded almost to herself.

"Of course," she mumbled. "Sage isn't in the proper generation, but he's not shielded, either. Ah, but if one of there others were to see, it might be different. Surely one of the three…" She trailed off, beginning a steady limp in the direction they had been heading for several hours. Dais gave her a horrified look and shook his head in denial.

"What do you know?" Sage all but screamed, finally averting his gaze from whatever he had been staring at.

"I don't _know_ anything," she answered stiffly, eyes flashing from crimson to an unnatural white. "But I suspect quite a bit after hearing pieces of the elementals' conversations through the shield clouding my mind."

"What elementals?" Rowen asked softly. Mieren turned to him with a haunted expression.

"I don't know for sure. But there are several thousand following us."

---

To Be Continued…


	5. Chapter 5

Outlands

Part 5

By Mieren

---

Just as suddenly as he had started, Len stopped screaming, collapsing to the ground once he was fully submerged in the shade of the setting sun. He raised blurry eyes towards a rope of fog just before it reached him, swatting it away with a muddled thought. So clouded was his mind that it took him several seconds to realize that a furious free-for-all had ensued a short distance from him, Gau and Nasuti merging their substantial powers to form a rough shield around Lanfear, though numerous streamers of fog were escaping. Ella, though injured, was doing her best to both fight and keep the mists away from where Akira lay unconscious beside a thoroughly unnerved Mia. Mouri was trying to chant some spell in what appeared to be an elfish tongue, only to lose his place every few seconds to a retaliatory blast of fog leveled with his head. Ryoko and Katari were nowhere to be seen.

"Thank God," Mana breathed, pulling him roughly to his feet. "I thought you had stopped breathing." Len raised blurred eyes to see his far older sister-in-law standing protectively above him, doing her best to keep the encroaching fogs away. Quickly discovering that his balance was non-existent, he reverted to a more serpentine form and dropped to all fours, eyes roving across the battle once more.

"Tell everyone to move out of my way," he hissed, tensing the muscles through his back as he prepared to spring forward.

"But you can't…"

"Tell them to move, Mana."

Reluctantly, she placed two fingers in her mouth and let out a short, sharp whistle. As if by magic, the battleground emptied, a clearing forming around a shocked Lanfear almost instantly. Lanfear jerked slightly as her opposition suddenly disappeared, head snapping towards Len almost instantly as she realized the cause of the break in fighting. Cords of fog leveled around her even as Len sprang, icy fires raging around him as he pivoted tauntingly just before contacting the milky strands. His knowing laughter seemed to hang in the air as he plunged into a nearby shadow, form and fires alike dissolving as he entered the darkness.

"Only in the shadow can the purest of light thrive," Len teased loudly, his voice echoing from nowhere and everywhere at once.

"Darkness elemental," Lanfear scoffed, the tightness of her eyes betraying her haughty posture. "Manipulation of the shadows. Worthless."

"**Ten to bind and ten to kill, by strength of mind or force of will,"** he continued, voice taking on a slightly strained quality as he reverted to the demon tongue. **"Yet one may free, where ten must bind, strength of the soul overcomes that of the mind."**

At this, Lanfear paused and shied away from the shadows slightly, fear flickering behind her crimson eyes. As she attempted to move further from the darkness, a hand of stone erupted from the ground and latched onto one of her wings, pulling her firmly to the earth. Whips of air and water followed almost immediately, cracking into her with tremendous force even through the protective barrier of fogs. Her pained shriek rang through the shocked silence as the fogs detached themselves from the ground and trees to engulf her. Her cries rose in pitch and volume as she hacked at the various elemental attacks with twin blades of fog. After a particularly vicious slash to the shadows, Len's howl exploded from the shadows along with his trembling form.

"_Die, Child of Hashiba,"_ she spat, calling a scimitar of fogs to hand and raising it menacingly. Len glared up at her heatedly and placed one hand on the ground.

The stone below her exploded, hands of granite grappling relentlessly with both her and the surrounding mists. Snarling furiously, she sent a cascade of burning mists into the earth below, eyes widening slightly when twin streamers of molten stone and boiling water shot from below and formed into Kento and Shin, both looking visibly shaken. Before she had time to act, the air around her solidified into wiry arms cloaked in deep bluish black armor and covered in vicious barbs.

Vera didn't hesitate before sinking her teeth into the back of the scaly neck exposed to her, locking her jaw in a stubborn fury. Len forced his eyes to focus on the full scale war for a moment only, sinking into his own shadow and resurfacing beneath the combatants with no-dachi of navy and pearly fires in hand. His first clumsy slash missed horribly, succeeding only in alerting Lanfear that he had a new weapon for her to contend with. Not allowing her the time to respond, he leapt forward while Vera still held Lanfear in check, a milky crystalline essence forming around him protectively. A flash of light emanated from his wrist before he reached his target, illuminating the mock darkness of the early dusk and reflecting off of hundreds of sets of strangely luminescent eyes from within the shadows.

Lanfear leapt away from Len with a choked off oath, throwing Vera off of her back jerkily and disappearing in a swirl of mist.

"Is everyone okay?" Gau asked shakily, summoning a small burst of light to illuminate the clearing. His eyes kept flickering between the small shadows remaining just beyond the reach of the light and the cluster of ten-year-olds around Kento, two of which he had believed to be dead.

"As good as we're going to get anytime soon," Len responded thickly. He glanced at Gau demandingly before turning his attention back to the numerous lacerations along his pale frame and a shimmering orb set just behind his right wrist. Shocked and still more than slightly nervous about the countless eyes moving around in the shadows, Gau ran stiffly to the boy's side. He healed him almost absently, his attention focused on the milky orb set in the back of Len's wrist, pale hints of multiple shades of blue flashing through the orb before it settled into the purest opal.

"How did you…" Mouri began uncertainly, pushing past Gau to prod the crystal orb in the boy's wrist.

"Like Lanfear said, there's a darkness elemental here," he muttered dully in response to the rhetorical question. His eyes remained locked on a particular patch of shadow that seemed strangely darker than the surrounding blackness. He spat out something less than civil in another language towards the darkness before continuing. "Unlike the other one and myself, he wasn't very nice about putting this thing in place."

"You call that nice?" Akira groused, massaging his wrist testily as he wobbled in their general direction. Len's patronizing look kept him from commenting further. The boy seemed most comfortable with the situation in general, but like everyone else, his eyes kept flickering towards the glowing eyes filling the night around them. After a moment of tense silence, Ritsuko finally asked what everyone was thinking.

"Exactly what were you three doing?" she asked stiffly, her gaze not including her husband, who she obviously intended to have a word with later. She waved one hand towards a particularly large concentration of the reflective eyes. "And what are those things?"

"We were using the armor as it was meant to be used," Len murmured, glancing to Vera and Shin for confirmation. "The armors are things of magic tapping into elemental energies of incredible proportions. If all ten stood together, we could win. As things stand now, we're only holding our own because Lanfear has no idea what she's doing yet. Despite the fact that she's a tenth level elemental master, she shouldn't be able to handle that kind of energy. Something is keeping her alive or she would have been torn to shreds by now." He paused in his musings, turning inquisitive jade eyes towards the shadows. "And as far as what those things are, I haven't a clue."

"One can always try the direct approach," Nasuti said lightly, pivoting slightly to face the largest cluster of glowing eyes directly. "Hey! What are you things?"

"Very good," Katari said condescendingly, massaging one temple as she emerged from the shadows with Ryoko on her heels. "I'm sure that'll work."

"What were you two doing out there?" Ella asked stiffly, eyes locked on her little sister worriedly.

"Hiding since we were given the order to clear the field," Ryoko murmured apologetically in her friend's place, glancing at Mana for confirmation. When the older woman nodded, she continued, though tentatively, eyes constantly flickering towards her father. "Something in the trees kept talking to us, but we couldn't understand him."

"It was in the shadows," Katari corrected slowly, eyes narrowing. "And it was a she, not a he."

The two girls locked eyes for a moment, comprehension dawning on their faces even as Ella opened her mouth to tell them it wasn't important. As one, they turned towards Len, who only shrugged massively in response to the unspoken question.

"I'm almost afraid to ask," Gau groaned, rolling his eyes towards the emerging stars. "But I have a feeling that I'm going to find out sooner or later no matter what sanity dictates." Nasuti glanced at him with a tolerant look, quickly shifting her eyes back to the shadows.

"What I want to know," Ritsuko said stiffly, "is exactly what you did in 'using the armor as it was meant to be used.' How did you disappear like that?" Len and Shin glanced at each other and shrugged. Vera snorted loudly and locked eyes with Kento, who shifted nervously and began eyeing the earth at his feet as a possibly escape route.

"_The armors can shift themselves and their bearers into elemental forms for a short time, the length of which is dependant on the strength of the bearer in that power,"_ a bemused voice answered them from the shadows.

"Who are you?" Mouri called out loudly, moving protectively in front of the group with several spells readying around his outstretched hands. He paused, suddenly wondering why he had responded in Japanese rather than the sorcerer or demon tongues. He knew it was absurd, but for some reason he was sure that whoever or whatever was out there spoke Japanese. As he had expected, he didn't receive an answer, the speaker having disappeared into the night.

"This is just great," Akira groused. "We have God only knows what following us in what appears to be a massive pack," he growled darkly, motioning sharply towards a cluster of ruby eyes, several pairs of which flinched. "And now we have some strange guy following and teasing us!"

"Since when could you speak the sorcerer tongue?" Gau retorted, pausing to heal him wearily before continuing on his rounds through the group.

"I can't, but it was obvious it was laughing!"

"He was probably just trying to be helpful," the blond muttered.

"Fighting each other is kind of pointless, isn't it?" Nasuti asked scathingly. She scowled darkly when she didn't receive a response.

"My guess would be yes."

This time even Len jumped, spinning wildly on his toes to face the source of the voice, which happened to be less than two paces behind him. Standing unconcerned and clad in thin folds of loose leather was a young man with reddish hair and a strangely angular face, bright blue eyes flashing in amusement. Hooked at his belt were twin scythes attached by a long thin chain on the ends of the hilts.

"Anubis!" Ritsuko gasped, eyes bulging. Her sentiments were repeated several times before they received a response from the no longer grinning man.

"I see you know my brother. I have not seen him since we were but children," he murmured, azure eyes growing troubled. "I heard his call, but cannot find him."

"Brother?" Kento breathed, eyes wide with disbelief and shock. "He never said he had a brother."

"I doubt he even remembers me," the young man murmured. "He was taken by the Warrior of the Starlight, Talpa, when he was very young. We thought he was dead." He looked up with hopeful eyes. "Do you know where he is?"

"The astral plane," Mouri stammered, afraid to continue when the man's expression turned absolutely murderous. Kento stepped back.

"What are the things in the shadows?" Len asked suddenly, forestalling the redhead's rampage.

"They are that which my brother called," he murmured, the anger and worry fading from his eyes as he regarded the boy in front of him quizzically. "Tell me, are you the third of the shadow's light?" His eyes flickered towards Vera and Shin, gaze locking onto the orbs set in their wrists. "You carry the blood of a dragon." Shocked that he had been recognized so easily, Len only nodded blankly.

"Tell me, um…" Ritsuko started, trailing off uncertainly.

"Rune," he offered helpfully.

"Uh, Rune," she continued. "Shouldn't we get moving? I don't think we should stay in one place like this."

"I have a delivery first," he said lightly, eyes roving across the group several times before ultimately coming to a rest on Ella. "You have very little talent, yet you are the best of the group. The others have their own destinies which they must follow."

"What do you mean?" she asked nervously.

"I'd have taken the responsibility, but my lineage didn't grant the powers necessary for such work. They fell to my brother, who is unable to do anything from his current position," he sighed. His hand flashed out of view into a hidden pocket, reappearing a moment later with something clutched in his fist. "Catch."

Instinctively, Ella plucked the tiny projectile out of the air, nearly dropping it when she realized what it was.

"Where did you get this?" she demanded, brandishing a small sphere of copper at him angrily. Rune shrugged.

"I don't know. I woke up to my brother's call with the orb in my hand. I recognize it as a piece of the Armor of Chains, but I know little more than to which element it answers."

"Perfect," Len interjected happily before Ella could snap out a response. "We now have eight of the ten."

"Say again?" Mouri asked, shocked.

"Eight of ten," he repeated, growing excited. "Akira, Vera, Shin and I already have our armors. Ella will make five and I'm sure that Gau and Nasuti can summon the orbs of light and fire."

"That's seven," Gau objected stiffly.

"No, he's right," Ritsuko sighed. "I have the eighth."

"Say again?" Mouri whimpered, massaging his temples.

"The armor of the Ancients implements the element of spirit. It can deflect almost any magical attack, but it's almost completely useless in an elemental battle."

"Isn't that what Kayura was using?" Kento asked numbly.

"In a fashion, yes, but in reality, no," she answered quietly. "That was not the full suit of armor. It was lacking several key pieces and thus powers that may have saved her in the last battle." She paused, summoning her golden staff to hand and deftly plucking two of the golden rings from the cluster at the end. Without a word of explanation, she slipped one ring around each wrist, the golden bands melting into her skin just behind her wrists. "This is the full suit."

A flash of golden bronze light arose from her wrists, increasing in intensity until everyone was forced to look away. The light slowly cleared to reveal Ritsuko standing resigned in a skintight suit of golden bronze armor, short sword hanging at either hip. Rune nodded enthusiastically.

"Wonderful, Guardian," he murmured appreciatively. His eyes quickly shifted to Ella, Gau and Nasuti. "Now you three."

"Do we have to?" Gau whined, childishly thinking of some way to make his right arm disappear until the redhead left. Rune smirked at him and bobbed his head, fingers running excitedly across the scythes at his waist.

"I saw how the children fought with my own eyes," he said, words quickly picking up speed as he continued. "If all ten armors were to fight together…"

"That's what I said," Len groused, interrupting Rune before he could further degenerate into his excited ramblings. "But does anyone ever listen to me?"

Ella glanced at the orb in her hand skeptically, sighing when her brother shook his head forcefully.

"No way," Gau snapped, eyes flashing. "There's got to be another way to fight."

"_What a vain little weakling,"_ a voice from the shadows scoffed.

"_You'd think we were trying to take his arm off or something,"_ another voice answered sarcastically.

"_Would you shut up!"_ Gau roared at the shadows, creating a bout of silence.

"_I'll be damned,"_ the first voice murmured. _"I didn't know that that one could speak our tongue."_

"_I didn't think any of them could,"_ a third one answered, obviously amused.

"_Except for the boy, you mean,"_ the second reminded softly.

"_Well, naturally him,"_ the third conceded in a soft chuckle. _"And the elf."_

"That's it," Gau breathed, trembling in a cold fury. "I've had enough."

A soft snarl escaped his throat as he pumped one fist into the air and unleashed a fiery explosion of light, destroying the shadows for miles around. Small forms, the largest of which didn't even reach his knee, scattered into the surrounding shrubs awarding them with only a glimpse of the tips of a few bushy tails.

"Nasuti," Gau murmured.

"On it," she replied lightly, effortlessly shifting into a deep brown wolf with wide leathery wings and garnet eyes. She sprang forward silently, disappearing into the nearest patch of dense shrubs after one of the quickly retreating forms. Her innate speed proved to be too much for whatever she was chasing, for mere seconds later, she reemerged with a thrashing silvery gray fox hanging from the clawed hands at her wing wrists. "Got him."

"That really wasn't necessary," Rune said stiffly, wincing.

"Too bad," Nasuti rumbled in something very akin to a purr. "Now who or what are you?"

The fox only glared at her balefully, letting out a plaintive cry towards the shadows as it continued to thrash. Soft snarls registered from all around, the protesting growls solidifying into hundreds of foxes in multitudes of earthen colors. Among them was a single blue fox with white tipped ears and twin tails, silvery eyes blazing from among a sea of red. It winked at them before turning to disappear effortlessly into the night, not bothered by the blazing light Gau had summoned.

"Put him down, Nasuti," Mouri stammered nervously, recognizing the fox for what it was almost instantly.

"Whatever for?"

"Just do it," Ritsuko seconded, eyes flickering across the gathering foxes with obvious trepidation.

"It's a fox," Akira chuckled, joining Gau in prodding the silvery form roughly. "What can it possibly do?"

"Fox," Mouri laughed, almost appearing to be in a state of mild shock.

"It can do enough to scare Lanfear enough that she has to change her underwear. Is that good enough?" Ritsuko asked thickly. Pushing down her fear with obvious effort, she made her way to a now frozen Nasuti and gently plucked the silvery fox from her grip and set it on the ground, retreating quickly.

Upon regaining contact with the ground, the silvery fox darted several paces away before spinning to face them, ruby eyes blazing furiously. Almost instantaneously, it surged upwards in a sudden burst of height, resolving into slender, and furious, man with waist length silver hair and stunning violet eyes. Like Rune, he wore thin billowing leather garments, appearing out of thin air in place of his fur, a single scimitar hanging from his belt. Protruding from his thick mane of hair were largish fox ears framing a sharp, angular face. A matching silver fox tail extended behind him, the tip nearly brushing the ground as it twitched furiously.

Before anyone had time to respond, he ripped his scimitar free and lunged towards Nasuti, pulling up short when he slammed face first into an invisible barrier. His eyes narrowed in hatred. Nasuti only collapsed to the ground, trembling profusely.

"Knock it off," Len snapped, gaining the attention of the slender man and every fox in the clearing. "If you're here to help us like Anubis asked, then take us to Zairian's Ledge."

The silver-haired man looked as though he wanted to protest but dared not speak, violet eyes intently studying Len's face. A look of trepidation appeared on his face and he tensed slightly, sheathing his blade and advancing smoothly.

"It will be as you request, third of the shadow's light and fifteenth of the children of eternity," he murmured in a thick accent, inclining his head slightly. "I am Terru, leader of the Clan of the Tenth Shadow." His gaze whipped towards Ella almost instantly, lips curling slightly as he nodded to the armor orb still clenched in her fist. She flinched.

"I don't… I can't," she stammered, staring uncertainly at the coppery globe.

"Like this, little sister," Rune murmured, gently prying the orb from her quivering fingers and pressing it to the back of her wrist. Almost immediately, the orb sank into her arm, exploding in a flash of amber light that extended down her arm in a pattern of thorny vines that stopped just past her elbow. Gau made a face.

"What's with the decorations?" he groused.

"Symbols of the armor's acceptance of the bearers," Terru offered, looking pointedly at Nasuti and Gau, both of whom began to squirm uncomfortably under his harsh gaze.

"Give up," Akira groaned.

"Bite me," Gau snarled.

"Where?"

"That's enough," Nasuti snapped, causing both men to flinch. She raised one hand slowly in front of her, garnet flames igniting in the palm of her hand as she concentrated. "Armor of the Wildfire. Dao Jin."

As if the armor had belonged to her since birth, a fiery red orb appeared in her hand out of the flames, sinking into the flesh of her hand. Alarmed, she jerked her hand slightly away from the flames she had summoned, watching incredulously as the orb surfaced just behind her right wrist. Even as the orb darkened to a stunning garnet, streamers of crimson shot outwards from the softly pulsing light, streaking her arm like half-dried blood.

"Lovely," Gau muttered, ducking reflexively when Nasuti threw a wild shot in his direction furiously. He made a face at her. "But I don't want to lose my perfect looks!"

"Oh, you're dead," Nasuti growled.

Under threat of an angry wife, Gau raised his arms defensively and extended one hand reluctantly, crystalline peridot flames building in his palm. A resigned look fell over his face as he proceeded.

"Armor of the Halo. Dao Chi."

The result of his summoning matched Nasuti's almost exactly, a deep emerald orb appearing out of the fires and sinking into his hand only to reappear behind his wrist in a gently swirling peridot. A pattern of leaves exploded from the orb to cover his forearm. Gau's face screwed up in irritation.

"What is it with the freaking plant patterns?" he snarled.

"The elements are the source of life," Terru chuckled, choosing to ignore the foul looks thrown in his direction. "So naturally the patterns would mimic nature."

"Then what about those three?" he groused, jerking his head towards Shin, Vera and Len angrily. Terru grinned nastily.

"Their patterns follow their mindsets because they willed it so." He paused, eyes roving towards Nasuti as his smile grew malicious. "Hers settled on that pattern because _I_ willed it so."

"Thanks," she groused, running one finger across the scarlet streaking. She paused, eyes narrowing in consideration. "Wouldn't you have to be a master of fire to do that?" Terru grinned wider.

"I am the fire at the pinnacle's point," he chuckled. Before she could question him further, he reverted to a small silver fox and disappeared into the unnatural shadows that defied Gau's light. The other foxes quickly followed.

"As interesting as that was," Len muttered. "What were those things?"

"Youko," Ritsuko breathed, still staring apprehensively towards the shadows.

"What's the big deal?" Kento snorted. "I could squish them flat."

"The big deal is that you couldn't," Mouri said lifelessly. "In the Sorcerer's War, they played both sides because they thought it was funny. I've never seen them fight, really. I've only seen the aftermath. Plains turned into mountain ranges and fertile fields into barren wastelands and vise versa."

"They have their reasons," Rune said lightly, pushing between them and heading towards a dense growth of trees. "Come, I will take you to Zairian's Ledge as you requested." His eyes locked onto Kento. "You must not follow."

"Why not?" Ritsuko snapped, temper flaring.

"He has business to attend to elsewhere."

Ritsuko looked ready to kill, her fiery rage only ebbing when Kento nodded knowingly and sank into the ground. His disappearance was quickly followed by a rabid bout of cursing from Akira, who degenerated into quiet muttering when Ella punched him in the arm threateningly.

"And where exactly did he go?" Ryoko asked quietly.

"To complete the rings," Rune answered as though it should be the most obvious thing in the world. Both Len and Vera flinched and tried to pretend like they didn't know what he was talking about. Ritsuko and Mouri paled.

"And what does that mean?" Akira asked slowly. Mouri took a deep breath to steady himself before answering.

"He joined the others in the astral plane to represent the powers of the earth."

---

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter 6

Outlands

Part 6

By Mieren

---

Mieren looked up fearfully, flinching as ten identical stone formations came further into view. She had been watching them for some time, further dreading reaching the unholy site in the astral plane the nearer she drew. The ten sphinxes. The ten pinnacles of power in the astral plane that would determine whether or not they were to be allowed access to Zairian's Ledge.

She paused where she stood, trying to ignore Sage's and Dais's simultaneous flinching and jerking as they tried to find whatever was playing in their peripheral vision. Their visions were coming more and more frequently, proving to her that the elementals were finally emerging from their nonexistent forms into something tangible. Cale and Rowen had taken up flinching in unison as well, complaining bitterly of blinding flashes of light that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. During some of their worse visions, Touma joined them in their rabid cursing. Fighting down the urge to begin swearing rabidly at the elementals again, she tried to look on the bright side of things.

Now that Ryo had appeared, the temperature around them had increased to something bearable as fire elementals began to cluster around them. Both Anubis and Sehkmet seemed to be recovering, the former from his unceremonious summoning and the latter from the fierce cold. She could sense that Kento had appeared in the distance, and with his help, they theoretically should be able to match the ten unmovable sphinxes. If she survived the passing of the barriers, she could act as the focal point for their union of powers, opening the gates to eternity. She could only pray that the others had reached their positions on the other side. If the youko had followed Anubis's request to help them, they should have either reached their destination or be incredibly close to doing so.

That brought her to another line of thought. The youko, despite their loyalty to Anubis's line, were dangerous. No matter what they claimed or what oaths they gave, they were treacherous, refusing to choose a side until they knew who was going to win and what they could get out of each side's victory or defeat. Even without their devious natures, they were intolerably irritating.

Rowen and Cale flinched and swore, once again in unison. Mieren spared them a sideways glance, gaze settling on her husband. For what must have been the millionth time, she wondered if her efforts, her life's work, had been in vain. Len and Vera were both incredibly strong, though in different aspects, but they were both so young. She couldn't stand the thought of what they were to face, assuming that they managed to defeat her darker half. Her gaze settled once more on the ten sphinxes. She shuddered, fears reawakened. What if she wasn't allowed to pass? She clenched her fists and forced herself to continue moving, vowing that her life would not have been meaningless.

She was so tense and unnerved that she nearly took off Ryo's arm when he tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. Luckily, he jerked back just in time to avoid her reflexive slash. He apparently understood, though, how upset she was and didn't seem too upset about nearly losing his left arm and half his face. He was perfectly calm when he asked his question.

"So what are those things?" he asked, nodding towards the huge stone formations they were slowly but steadily approaching.

"The decorations around Zairian's Ledge," Mieren muttered, refusing to look away from the statues on the horizon. Even from that distance, she could easily see how intricately formed they had been.

"Bull," Sage growled, resisting the urge to spin wildly to see what was still moving in his peripheral vision.

Mieren paused, eyes roving to the endless emptiness above her where there should have been a sky. Not even the fogs dared cloud the emptiness above, not this close to the pinnacles. She supposed that she should be grateful for the diminishing presence of the mists as she drew nearer to the sphinxes, but she wasn't. The absence only reminded her of the greater danger she approached. She paused again where she stood, gaze skimming past her husband to land on Dais and Anubis. The former's secret she knew, but the latter didn't know even himself. So many secrets and tidbits of information she knew about them, had learned and gathered over the years only to keep so much from them.

"They are the ten apogees of power in the astral plane," she conceded.

"Apogee?" Sehkmet repeated slowly. Mieren threw him a weary look.

"Apex, summit, ultimate point of strength," she murmured, shoulders drooping slightly. She looked to her reformed feet and arm, guilt flashing across her features for a mere moment. For so many years she had denied the true strength behind her apparent immortality, praying that the day would come when she could truly die. She had been waiting for over three millennia for another option to no avail.

"What do they do?" Rowen asked softly, jerking her out of her morbid pondering.

"They allow a gathering of the proper powers to open a gateway to anywhere within the limit any dimension touched by the might of the elements." She had to force herself to start moving towards the pinnacles again before she continued her explanation. "They judge a person by their soul and by their past before determining whether or not they will be allowed to pass. Any corrupt souls will be destroyed by the ten elemental apparitions that inhabit the eternal sphinxes." The faintest hint of a smile caressed her lips when she saw the Warlords stiffen nervously. Dais and Cale even forgot to twitch at the elementals' continued taunting.

"Are we there yet?" Kento asked suddenly, emerging from the stone just in front of them. Mieren was the only one not to leap sideways with a choked off yelp.

"You move a lot quicker than I expected."

"I know a few shortcuts."

"When did you get here?" Ryo spluttered.

"Is everyone else okay?" Sage asked quickly. Kento shrugged.

"They were fine when I left a few minutes ago," he answered lightly. "And they should have an easier time now that the youko have joined them."

"Youko?" Anubis breathed, aghast. "Tell me that's not what I called."

Mieren glanced in his direction with a considering look, debating on what she should tell him. Of the entire group, he had the least reason to fear them.

"They're not as bad as you think," she murmured, pushing past Kento as she resumed moving. The others followed almost reluctantly. "They did, after all, protect your ancestor. You of all people should know that they're not all that dangerous. Not all of them."

"Sure," he muttered sarcastically.

"Hey Kento," Rowen asked over his shoulder. "You mentioned something about shortcuts. Any chance of showing us a few of them? We've been walking forever."

Kento was already shaking his head before he finished. "I can't."

"Why not?" Touma demanded angrily. "I'm tired of walking."

"There are rules," he answered evasively. Mieren's nod of agreement kept anyone else from questioning him further, though it did not get her off the hook.

"Exactly how much do you know?" Cale queried, appearing at her side.

"I know that in every dimension, there are rules, such as the laws of physics that you are familiar with. I doubt that Kento can crack through some of the barriers here, elemental or no." When he flinched, she didn't continue on that line of argument. "And just because the elementals can move around so freely does not mean that they can help us to do so. You're lucky that they've been protecting us from the fogs thus far."

"What fogs?" Anubis asked slowly, squinting into the surrounding darkness as he suddenly realized that they hadn't had to dodge a fogbank in some time.

"They will not come this close to the oracles," she murmured. She glanced sideways at Anubis, amusement slowly creeping onto her face. "How could you tell, anyway? Aren't you blind here?" He shrugged, baffled.

"It's getting brighter. Every now and then, I think that I can almost see the land around us."

"Not much of a view, is it?" Cale laughed bleakly. "Just cold, lifeless stone as far as the eye can see."

"Stone?" Anubis repeated numbly. He turned away from the group for a moment, reaching towards an empty area of air with eyes closed tightly. His hands stopped in midair, closing around something that they couldn't see. When he pulled back his clenched fist, leaves trailed from his sap-covered fingers. He held up the largish leaves to their disbelieving eyes. "Does this look like stone?"

"How did you…" Dais began, trailing off when he saw something shift in his peripheral vision. His eyes narrowed speculatively when he saw Sage flinch again.

"There are life elementals here," Mieren interjected impatiently. "Of course there would be plant life."

"Then why is it so dark and cold and lifeless?" Cale demanded. For the first time since arriving, Mieren grinned.

"I think we should ask Ryo and Sage about that," she chuckled. "After all, _they're_ not shielded."

All attention instantly shifted to the two named men, both of whom began to squirm uncomfortably. Sage earned himself a small reprieve in their upcoming wrath by nearly jumping out of his skin once more, again in unison with a more than slightly unnerved Dais, who scowled darkly.

"Hey Sage," he said softly. When Sage glanced in his direction, he quickly ducked his head to shield his face fully with his longish purple tinted hair. "Could you tell me what's out there before I go insane? You're a master of illusion too and you're not shielded."

"Even if I was, how would you know that?" he countered.

"That's not important," Dais muttered. He did his best to ignore Mieren's knowing, and more than slightly amused, look.

Irritated, Sage held out one hand, palm upwards, and conjured a small globe of light, causing Cale and Rowen to yelp and cover their eyes and everyone else to flinch. Touma threw him an inappropriate gesture and a dark look. Dais tried to turn away from the light but wasn't quite fast enough to avoid Sage's sharp eyes. The blond froze at what he saw, striding forward rapidly and forcefully pulling Dais around to face him. Knowing that he had finally been caught, Dais looked up at the taller man defiantly, allowing his hair to fall away from his face and two good eyes. Sage's jaw dropped and he jerked away as though burnt.

"You… you're… a _woman_?" he hissed.

Sehkmet's head snapped towards his best friend instantly, the expression on his face shifting between disbelief and betrayal. Dais only dropped her slouching posture and threw her shoulders back self-righteously, revealing her more than ample breasts that were pressed tightly against her otherwise loose martial arts uniform. Touma degenerated into a fit of sniggering, earning himself a foul look. Out of the rest of the group, Cale was the first to recover from his shock.

"How did you manage to hide those?" he asked, moving as to poke one to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Dais slapped his hand away irritably, glaring at Mieren when she choked off a giggle and whispered something to Touma, who nearly collapsed in his bubbling laughter.

"I'm a master of illusion," Dais said angrily. "Don't you think that hiding what I looked like would be pathetically easy? This is the first time I've been shielded from my elemental abilities, in case you haven't realized."

"But why didn't you tell us?" Sehkmet asked, looking extremely hurt.

"I hid for my own protection from you idiots when we were under Talpa's control," she grumped. "By the time we were loose, you all knew me as a man, so I kept up the illusion."

"But you were flirting with other women!" Cale protested.

"And you never suspected anything, did you?"

"That would explain why you were always so concerned about your appearance," Anubis muttered, shaking his head wearily.

"I wouldn't talk if I were you, you scrawny little brat," she snapped. "I've seen what _you_ look like, you freak!"

Anubis reddened instantly, suddenly realizing just how many times Dais had seen them all naked while changing, bathing or taunting. He mumbled something about fairness, or lack thereof, before falling completely silent. Dais sniffed loudly and turned back to Sage, making a note to herself to kill Mieren if she kept snickering.

"Now Sage, would you please tell me what's out there?"

Still more than slightly shaken, Sage turned to do as asked. A wisp of green flame licked his rigid form as he concentrated on the illusion around him, sending a small shock wave through the otherwise still air. Teasingly soft echoes and phantom images appeared out of the darkness for instants only, resolving into nothingness almost immediately. Knowing that she shared a neighboring ability and was not shielded either, Kayura joined him, watching incredulously as the ripples in the illusion took longer to mend themselves. Sage threw her a grateful look, knowing full well that he was already straining his meager abilities in that power.

Kento watched him nervously, his gaze ultimately settling on the ground as he decided that it would be best if he didn't try to help. There were no rules about people cracking the illusion in the astral plane, but as for the elementals… He was jerked suddenly out of his contemplation when the final shock wave emanating from Sage didn't fade back into nothingness.

As though an explosion had been set off at Sage's feet, the ground began to erupt in light and color in a steadily growing ripple. Greenery and light came into view as the ring expanded, shooting outwards at an incredible pace. Forests and mountain ranges came into view in the distance, shining innocently under a starry sky that seemed horrendously bright after the absolute darkness. Only paces from them stood an enormous winged horse beside a slowly trickling stream, his thickly feathered wings shimmering like crystal in the stars' gentle light. Noticing them, the magnificent beast turned and trotted lightly into the dense shoulder-high emerald grasses of the endless plains surrounding them, disappearing quickly. Streaks of gold and rose shot across the sky behind the rolling mountains, announcing the setting of the sun.

"My god," Ryo breathed. "It's beautiful."

"Is this real?" Kayura asked, visibly shaken. "Is the astral plane truly a utopia?"

Mieren smiled gently. "Untouched by the ravaging wars of demons and sorcerers, these lands have had eternity to reach this beauty." Sighing forlornly, she turned once again towards the glimmering sphinxes. "We need to continue moving. The others will reach Zairian's Ledge anytime now."

Having been reminded so bluntly of what they do desperately needed to do, the others fell in behind Mieren. Dais quickly moved towards the front to avoid the questioning eyes of her friends.

---

"Are we there yet?" Akira whined, earning himself another thump from Ella. "We've been walking all day! Where is it?"

"Would you be quiet?" she snapped.

"Would you be quiet?" an echo came from the early evening shadows.

"Quiet! Quiet!" voices chanted, degenerating into wild laughter.

No longer afraid of their shadows after having traveled with them for half of the previous night and all day, Gau threw a largish rock into the shadows angrily, completely fed up with the mocking voices of the youko. Instantly, a hail of rocks flew back at him from all directions, forcing him to slip into a large golden wolf to gain the speed he needed to dodge the multitudes of projectiles. He was immediately tackled by almost a dozen youko, some of them sporting five or six tails. After they had pinned him to the ground for several seconds, they disappeared into the evening once more.

"Fucking youko," he snarled, regaining his feet and brushing himself off roughly.

"Such requests he makes," a soft voice came from his left.

"How strange of him," another commented. "You don't suppose he wants to watch, do you?"

"As long as he doesn't want to join in," a third said bleakly.

"Hopefully not," the first answered. "We'll go blind."

Wild resounding laughter filled the oncoming darkness, nearly causing Gau to lob another rock at them. After a moment of silent debate, he seemed to think better of it and decided to sulk in silence. The thought of dealing with the five and six tailed youko again was not overly appealing.

They had learned quickly from watching the small foxes unweave various spells set as traps for them that the more tails they had, the more they had powered up. Their leader, Terru, had actually been forced to push himself to his full strength to unravel one of the more vicious snares of fog. Nine long silvery tails had appeared as he worked on an intricate lacework of mist crossing the path they were following, extending for miles in either direction. On the rare occasions when he walked beside them for a few minutes, they could see a sort of knowing confidence on his angular face that led them to believe that he hadn't yet exposed the true bulk of his power.

Mana and Mia lagged slightly behind the group, keeping silent and out of the way. They knew full well that they were too weak to participate in this battle. Mouri often walked beside them, trying to chat amiably with his descendent and long time friend, but neither seemed to be in the mood to talk. No one could really blame them. In less than two days, Mana had lost her husband and oldest son, not knowing if she would ever see either of them again. Now she watched as her ten-year-old son fought in the front ranks against a demon with strength surpassing anything she would have ever believed possible. Mia was only slightly better off. Though her only daughter fought as well, she was older and more prepared against a foe she had seen before. Her husband had been unharmed and unshielded when he was sent to the astral plane, leading her to believe that there was still a chance that he may be alive. As they lagged slightly behind the group, a small escort of seven and eight-tailed youko stayed with them at all times. Currently, they were the only ones in the group that had yet to be tortured by the increasingly annoying youko.

Without warning, Terru appeared beside them in his almost human form, silver ears twitching and tail swishing minimally, looking at the two women with a slightly worried expression.

"We are being followed and closely watched," he muttered quietly. His eyes flicked across a blatantly nervous Mouri and towards the two women. "I expect an attack to be staged at any moment and I want you three out of the way and out of sight. An escort of ten will remain with you." Before they had time to respond, he had resumed the form of a nine-tailed fox and had disappeared into the gathering groups of knee high shadows that were accumulating with stunning speed. It did not escape Mouri's notice that every group was comprised of exactly ten youko.

Rune darted by them suddenly with a scythe in either hand, the long connecting chain wrapped strangely around his forearms. Arcane scrawling could be seen running along the lengths of the blades, glowing a pale coppery color as he powered up. Recognizing some of the symbols, Mouri gasped.

"So they still know the spells that they pilfered from the Starlight Clan and the Tower of the Guardians," he growled, paying no heed to the fiendish giggling and whooping coming from the ten youko surrounding them.

"I don't suppose it's surprising considering how long they live," Ritsuko murmured, purposefully herding them away from where the rest of the group were readying themselves. "There are virtually no generations for them to have to pass information along. A strong youko can live a few millennia. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the older ones here were around to have seen the Demon War."

Deciding that they were sufficiently out of the way, she threw turned and headed back to where the ten-year-olds were still trying to instruct Akira, Nasuti and Gau how to summon their full suits of armor. Ella was having no luck in summoning her armor at all, despite Vera's frustrated efforts. Knowing that they couldn't do much without the suits of armor that the others had, Katari and Ryoko had consented to stay with out of the battle entirely. Len arched his eyebrows at them demandingly and Rune winked as they left, causing Ritsuko's face to screw up in irritation. They were up to something.

Making a note to kill them later, she moved to the back of the assembled group to act as support in case something went wrong. She would lend whatever help she could if they needed her, but she was unsure of what she could do if it truly came down to it. The powers of her armor and elemental ability were only designed to block magic, nothing more. In an elemental battle, she was all but useless and defenseless.

"Why is she giving us so much time to prepare ourselves?" Ritsuko asked softly, glancing at the cluster of youko swarming around her.

"She's not," a sooty colored youko off to her side answered quietly out of the corner of his short muzzle. "It's a bluff on our part. She's going to think we're up to something and come to stop us."

"You mean that we're _picking a fight_?" she hissed.

"Why not?"

"Are you _insane_?" Ritsuko breathed, abandoning all pretense of calmness. "Do you have any idea what you're up against?" The dark gray muzzle twisted into something that was unmistakably a grin.

"Her, maybe?" he offered, looking at something directly behind Ritsuko. She paled and spun to view the beginning of a staring contest.

Lanfear was pacing in front of the armor bearers, eyes narrowing further and further as she passed the tensed warriors and small clusters of youko. An occasional strand of mist would rise and die around her as a youko pawed the ground tauntingly. No one, however, seemed eager to make the first move, putting Ritsuko more at ease. If Lanfear was so nervous and the youko so calm, then that meant that they stood a chance of surviving the encounter.

Without warning, Len leapt forward, no-dachi of crystalline flames appearing in his hands. Shin and Vera followed suit immediately, each dropping to the sides to create a three-way attack. Gau and Nasuti looked to each other and nodded as the first blows were exchanged, backing off slowly with Akira and Ella in tow, the latter still struggling with her armor. Ritsuko sprinted lightly over to them, almost spitting in her fury.

"Why aren't you helping them?"

Gau flinched. "Len said to stay out of his way," he murmured thickly, eyes glued to the raging battle. All three of the children were flashing in and out of existence as they forced their armors into elemental forms. The fact that none of them had been hit didn't calm Ritsuko.

"Then why aren't _you_ helping?" she demanded, scowling at a forming triangle of ten youko. The six-tailed golden bronze female organizing the group glanced at her condescendingly.

"We are," she growled softly. Her tails stiffened, signaling the other nine youko beside her to tighten their formation, each moving forward to touch the fox in front of them, muzzle to tail.

The triangle complete, each youko began to glow with an eerie luminescence that intensified as it concentrated towards the female in the front. Black and red threads of lightning shot outwards in increasing spheres of power, disappearing in a crack of thunder that shook the earth. The lead female stepped away from the group, tiny streamers of mist rising from her fur as she ran towards the battle.

"Impossible," Akira breathed, eyes flicking to the nine panting youko beside them before turning back to the battle. The golden bronze female leapt into the air at the last moment, waiting until the children in her path had vanished before lashing out with a whip of fog nearly blinding in its intensity. Akira's jaw had barely begun to drop before a frantic looking Rune bowled them roughly to the ground.

"Shield yourselves!"

The words had only left the man's mouth before the aftershock of the collision of twin sources of fog collided. The following ripple in the dimension itself passed easily through their shields, throwing them a good distance from the battle. Rune rebounded off a tree and rolled to his feet almost immediately, glaring angrily at the masses of youko, none of which had been touched by the blast.

Gau had only barely pushed Akira off of himself before a second blast toppled them again, immediately followed by a third, Nasuti and Ella landing atop the heap from where they had just removed themselves. Ritsuko settled on drumming her fingers from where she was still firmly pinned to the ground. She managed to shift enough to look up to a scene of chaos.

Shin had collapsed just beyond the battle, struggling futilely with the flames rising from his watery armor. Even past the semisolid armor, it was apparent that his skin was melting from the intense heat that neither he nor his armor could counter. Len jerked and twitched a short distance from him, sections of his armor infused into his partially detached skin. One of his arms and both of his legs were missing, trapped in a shadow somewhere beyond his ability to reach past the blinding light that seemed to follow him in his thrashing. Only the distraction of the ever-advancing youko and Vera kept Lanfear from finishing them off as they lay helpless, the former preventing her from focusing her attacks and the latter deflecting anything that managed to pass though. Vera's eyes pulsing to an increasingly deep shade of blue as she forcibly pushed waves of fog away from herself, her brother and her nephew. Her twisted scowl suddenly turned into something feral.

"_I call upon the shadow's past, the first of darkness and the last. I call upon an ancient skill, within the mage's darkest will,"_ she chanted in something less than a whisper. The youko howled in fear and retreated, their readied cords and whips of fog dissipating as they ran. Lanfear froze where she stood, eyes rolling away from the youko to rest on her in blatant disbelief. Vera didn't look up, concentrating only on the words she was speaking and the pulsing power building around her. _"The dragon's child and vampire's son, the shattered soul shall be as one."_

Looking frantic, Lanfear lashed out at her, turning on Len when the cords of fog vanished into nothingness before ever nearing her. Her first blow landed fully across his neck and back, ricocheting instantly towards her with tremendous force.

Len was oblivious to her attacks, eyes locked on the shadows that had emerged around him, allowing him to reform his limbs out of the darkness. His eyes rose to lock on his sister's rigid form when he realized what she was doing, a mixture of fear and hope appearing on his young face as she finished.

"_Repair the damage long since past, make the first of the shadow's last."_

Len's scream rang through the dimension.

---

To Be Continued…


	7. Chapter 7

Outlands

Part 7

By Mieren

---

Mieren pulled up several paces short of the nearest sphinx, her amusement at Dais's embarrassment forgotten. Half-covered in moss and vines, an elaborate sphinx stood in a vast field of seven-foot grass. Into the almost translucent figure were endless runes hidden among the fine, almost silken hair. She resisted the urge to clear away the vines from what appeared to be intricately carved marble, knowing how dangerous the beast would be if awoken improperly. The last demon to awaken a sphinx had taken years to die of the wounds that would not heal. Instead, she began a chant that she prayed would not get them all killed.

"Be ready and stand back," she warned the others over her shoulder. "If I tell you to do something, do it without question, because the sphinxes will not allow for stupid mistakes." She sighed, forcing herself to relax. Before beginning, she took the time to curse the cryptic figures and their inane love of rhymes. _"Twin circles of power, awaken! Heed the call of the mirrored fires, the burning forces of the immortal pyres."_

The masses of vines withered and smoldered, falling writhing to the bare ground where the grasses had long since pulled away. The sphinx caused the earth to tremble slightly as it rose and turned to face them with too-intelligent eyes. Mieren was forced to take several steps back to glimpse the face nearly three stories above her. She had the distinct feeling that the blank, lifeless eyes were watching her.

"_Life in death, but death to life. Found in peace, used in strife. Below the earth, above the sky. Here I stand. Who am I?"_

Mieren paused, wanting to be certain she understood the riddle fully before sending one of the Ronins forward. She knew that she had to answer correctly on her first try and had a cold feeling that there was a time limit in which she must answer.

"Ryo. Power up and move forward."

"Me?" he asked weakly. "Why?"

"I said not to ask questions," she snapped. The sphinx shifted slightly, causing her to tense nervously and reflexively shatter the shields holding her mind and elemental abilities in check.

"How did you…" Rowen started, trailing off when Mieren stormed past him and snagged Ryo's arm.

"We don't have time for this," she growled, forcibly summoning Ryo's innate elemental abilities and shoving him forward. "Just hold your ground and wait silently."

Ryo stumbled to a halt just before careening into the forelimb of the translucent oracle. He reflexively stepped back before remembering to straighten and stand ready. Every cell in his body screamed for him to run, to move away before he was killed, but he followed his instructions and stood firm.

Presented with an answer to its riddle, the sphinx lowered its massive head as if to sniff him. The translucent purity of its form broke into a raging inferno, the sphinx's form blurring, slowly losing definition. Wings, eerily leathery and clawed, burst out of the flames that were slowly forming into what was unmistakably fur. Though the beast had shifted to a stunning crimson, it was still translucent and distinctly matching Ryo's transformed state. It turned away and resumed its position in the ring, slowly dropping into something akin to a kneeling position, massive head ducked.

"Match his form and position just in front of him," Mieren called out somewhat uncertainly. She nearly choked when he began moving hesitantly around the enormous figure of fire. "Through it, not around!" she snapped. Ryo froze in his tracks and stepped back nervously. Mieren sighed. "It's another of the tests. You have to be strong enough to pass through your chosen elemental power. Going around the sphinx will get you killed fairly quickly."

Ryo swallowed thickly and nodded. He dropped to all fours into his wolf-like state, barreling through the swirling crimson power in front of him before he had a chance to consider what he was doing. Several loud sighs of relief could be heard when he skidded out of the far side, trailing wisps of crimson light and appearing completely unharmed. He dropped instantly to a kneeling position and ducked his head, afraid to move in the slightest lest he anger the elemental creation behind him.

"Come on," Mieren murmured, automatically starting towards the sphinx on her left without waiting for the others to follow. Kento didn't even flinch before falling in behind her, the blank look on his face showing that he knew more than he was letting on. Several nervous glances were directed in Ryo's direction before Rowen and Touma broke the stillness and sprinted lightly after her. The others followed more slowly.

The next sphinx turned towards them as they approached, barely waiting for Mieren to reach him before giving his riddle.

"_Often hated, often feared. Very seldom am I revered. Death I hold when you draw to near. Yet the master has not to fear."_

"Sehkmet. You're up," Mieren called without pausing, already understanding the style of the sphinxes' riddles.

Sehkmet blanched and stepped back. "I can't," he stammered, rushing to explain when Mieren's expression darkened. "I'm still shielded."

Mieren exhaled loudly and snagged his head, eyes flashing from crimson to a pure snowy white as she concentrated. The misty shield around Sehkmet's mind suddenly became startlingly visible, shattering into wisps of fog that almost instantly disappeared under the sphinx's blank gaze. She had barely shoved him forward before the translucent form in front of them shifted into a serpentine form of deep forest green. Sehkmet threw one last desperate glance towards Ryo before shifting into a lizard-like form and sprinting recklessly through the verdant figure even as it settled into a kneeling position. Mieren barely waited for him to emerge from the other side and skid to a halt on his knees before moving to the next figure whose blank eyes were already turned to them. The third sphinx moved almost sluggishly as they approached, head lowering far enough to lock eyes with the group before beginning its riddle.

"_I hold no key to a battle's end. Too slow to attack or defend. Here I lie, I must wait. I shall share the battle's fate."_

Mieren glanced across the group, eyes settling on Kento after a moment's deliberation. He nodded bluntly when she opened her mouth to call him forward, shifting into a stone cougar before he had even reached the sphinx. The blank eyes narrowed in anger, massive jaws opening threateningly as he approached. Not appearing concerned in the slightest, Kento continued to approach even as Sage and Cale called him back nervously, obviously wondering if Mieren had made a mistake.

"Shut up," she muttered, already starting for the next sphinx. She stomped on the vehement objections before anyone could get out more than a few words. "It's just angry because the elementals aren't supposed to participate in the ceremony."

Kento stopped before the massive figure and locked eyes with the blank orbs staring back at him, a battle of wills ensuing. After what seemed like an eternity, the massive figure leapt upright and spun back to its position in the circle almost petulantly, dropping to menacing crouch as it assumed the form of a great cat and claimed its place. Kento was forced to shift into an elemental state to pass through the golden orange form, the sphinx still expressing its objections to his passing. Mieren shook her head wearily as the led the diminishing group to the next oracle.

"_I was the first in times long past. In times far to come, I shall be the last. Brother to air in ancient days. The dragon born to our differing ways."_

"Such memories you have," Mieren murmured almost appreciatively. "Cale, it's your turn."

"You sure?" Sage asked, stumped by the strange riddle. Ritsuko had taught him enough to get by and his empathy had led him to further himself. He had understood the logic behind her decisions on the other enigmatic speeches, but this one had him confused even knowing the answer. Mieren nodded, translating the riddle rapidly.

"Brother to air. When I was created, elemental abilities were less likely to cross in family lines. This thing just mentioned that its brother was air," she said offhandedly, continuing when Cale stared at her demandingly. "Kenji and Nagateru were brothers," she laughed.

"I know Kenji was my ancestor," Cale said slowly, still lost.

"Kenji was in the Clan of the Midnight Shadows. Nagateru was in the Starlight Clan," she smirked. "Blue-haired idiots. Their little family war was ultimately responsible for my creation." When everyone still looked lost, she continued. "Nagateru changed his name to Hashiba after going to your dimension. I wouldn't be surprised if you two can still work with each other's abilities. I know that Len has already shown surprising abilities to manipulate the darkness."

When Cale's jaw only twitched numbly in shock, Mieren ripped the shield off of his mind and shoved him forward, rolling her eyes when he lost his footing and face-planted in front of the waiting sphinx. The oracle seemed confused at his clumsiness, nudging one clawed foot under his prone form and pulling him to his feet. Before Cale even had time to squeak, the massive beast turned and dropped to a kneeling position, for all the world looking like nothing more than an enormous furry bat with a long fluffy tail. Cale barely remembered to shift forms before stumbling uncertainly through the navy blue figure in front of him. Mieren shook her head and continued to the left.

"_Mother of the child of forgotten lust. With your secrets you do not entrust. All you hear and all you see, is all your life will ever be."_

Mieren shook her head again. "Dais, that's you."

"Mother?" Sage exploded, fighting the urge to snicker. When the others blinked at him blankly, he translated the lines for them, laughing harder when Dais reddened.

"I'd hate to see what _your_ kid looks like," Anubis giggled. "Frightening thought."

Rowen grinned widely, trying not to let the Dais see. He was certain that she would kill him if they teased her too badly. "You're going to have to introduce us to your spawn sometime," he choked out.

"You already know him," Dais muttered, reddening further and trying to avoid their gazes as she moved towards Mieren to have the shield on her mind removed.

The moment the shield around her was removed, the sphinx shifted into the form of a longhaired woman with six slender arms and six... endowments. All thoughts and conversation concerning Dais's son ceased instantly as the transformed sphinx straightened before turning, poorly contained laughter erupting from both the group around Mieren and the men already holding positions in front of the first four sphinxes. Every eye was locked onto the fifth sphinx who, not being concerned with the concepts of clothing or modesty, had three ample sets of breasts to match the tripled arms. The fact that the oracle was a obviously unashamed of its appearance didn't seem to hinder the lewd comments in the slightest as Dais sprinted forward red-faced, waiting until the last possible moment before disappearing into the oracle before shifting forms.

"Come on," Mieren said in a slightly strained voice as she moved again to the left. A good deal of staggering and snickers followed her as she moved to the next oracle. Both Touma and Anubis were laughing so hard that tears were streaming down their faces. Rowen and Sage were exchanging increasingly dirty jokes and remarks as they neared the sixth oracle. Kayura's angry comments only seemed to goad them on. The group only minimally sobered up when they reached the next sphinx.

"_Two to one, three in all. When you cry, I shall fall. Though a master I may revere, that who I seek is not here."_

When Mieren didn't answer immediately like she had with the first five, Rowen's face took on a considering expression. "Two to one, and three in all, huh? That sounds like the structural formula for water. Right?"

Mieren nodded blankly, face paling slightly.

"So it's the sphinx for water," he concluded, not understanding her uneasiness.

"We don't have a water master," she whispered. The group tensed, suddenly understanding why she had been silent.

"I'll try," Touma said stiffly, starting forward hesitantly. "I can manipulate the water a little."

When Mieren didn't respond, he prodded Sage roughly. Sage jerked slightly, removing the shield around the younger man's mind clumsily, not familiar with using elemental abilities for that purpose. His fumbling unraveled the weave enough that Touma was able to shatter it on his own by pushing against it roughly with his mind.

Touma had barely assumed his dragon form and moved forward for the sphinx's inspection before he was slapped away with a massive clawed foot. He would have been knocked a considerable distance from the sphinx had Rowen not deftly caught him, slicing up his arms on some of the larger ridges on his son's serpentine form. Looking highly perturbed, Touma pushed away from his father and stormed back towards the visibly seething sphinx. Blind to caution and deaf to his friends' and parents' cries, he leapt to tackle the massive figure. He realized at the last moment that the translucent oracle didn't have a solid form and tried to correct his trajectory, but his efforts came too late. He passed directly through it.

Only hoarse breathing could be heard for several tense moments when Touma did not appear out of the other side. The sphinx had frozen where it had been preparing to attack once more, a luminescent gleam entering the blank eyes. A silvery blue flash erupted from within the translucent oracle, drawing the attention of the last four sphinxes. The nearest took a slow step towards them, pausing and reclaiming its position when Touma finally clawed his way free of the far side of the oracle. Panting miserably, he blinked up at the enormous sphinx that looked as though it was preparing to attack again. Exhausted from his brief struggle, Touma did the only thing that he thought he could, turning his back on the furious manifestation of elemental power and kneeling brokenly at the proper position in the circle.

The sphinx bared and covered its teeth several times, claws rapidly appearing and disappearing as it studied Touma's back with a harsh gaze. Almost seeming loath to do so, it shifted into a silvery blue dragon at a startling speed, dropping to a kneeling position behind Touma and growing still. Rowen exhaled loudly in relief. It took several moments for Mieren to convince the others to move towards the next oracle, which was clearly waiting on them.

"_Magic's foe and eternal bane. Though not a link, I complete the chain. I cannot fight against that with no end. My strength allows me but to defend."_

Mieren didn't even blink before turning to Kayura. "Your turn."

Kayura stepped forward hesitantly, the last sphinx's attack on Touma still fresh in her mind. The seventh sphinx only turned immediately back towards the circle, achieving the form of a female centaur even as it lowered itself gently to the ground. Kayura nodded nervously to herself and shifted into her alternate form, turning at the last moment to kiss Sage passionately before moving into her place in the ring, leaving her husband looking very smug and somewhat red.

"Why didn't I get a kiss, Dais?" Sehkmet called loudly from the other side of the nearly complete ring. A few muffled snickers could be clearly heard before she snapped out a reply.

"Do you _want_ me to castrate you?"

"Can I help?" Cale asked happily. Sehkmet scowled at him angrily, causing the blue-haired man to duck his head defensively even though he was nowhere within the green-haired man's range. Mieren only shook her head wearily, pulling the three remaining men behind her as she moved to the next position.

"_My form may change to others, to match either of my brothers. Extreme heat or beyond natural cold. My new forms you may behold."_

Mieren paused, reviewing the three elements that remained. "Rowen."

"Fire and water border air. The elemental rings, right?" he asked as he moved forward to claim a kiss of his own before approaching the sphinx. "Air is necessary to have a fire and can be cooled into a liquid at absurd temperatures." Mieren smirked at him and nodded, having forgotten that her husband was a complete geek when it came to the sciences.

"Indeed," she purred, pulling the shield off his mind and absently healing the gashes along his arms before shoving him forward. Rowen moved forward, freezing in his tracks when the sphinx nodded to him and turned to the ring in its new form.

The thirty-foot oracle had shifted into a form that Rowen had never seen before, even after all his time in Mieren's dimension. Standing before him in a stunning sapphire was a figure that appeared almost like a cross between a human and a dragon. A long thin tail curved gracefully upwards just before reaching the ground, curling back around the lithe figure and its doubly jointed hind legs. A distinctive muzzle, short though it was, gave the somber face an almost noble look, accenting the slanted eyes and pointed ears. A thick mane of bushy hair hung just past the shoulder blades, framing massive shoulders and a heavily muscled back sporting thick folds of twin sets of leathery wings. Rowen only blinked in shock and turned to Mieren.

"I c-can't match that," he stammered.

"You can," Mieren cut him off, eyes wide. "It's taken on the form of the ancestors of the vampires, the noble creatures that they were before they were banished from the outlands." Her lips twitched upwards into something that resembled a cross between a wry smile and a grimace. "The beings that Kenji used as a model to create the last demon, the first dragon, in the War of the Sorcerers."

Rowen jerked back, eyes demanding an explanation. She had never shared that piece of information with them in all the years they had known each other.

"What exactly are the outlands?" he asked numbly, not liking the way Anubis had flinched and withdrawn in horror.

"The lands beyond the astral plane," she murmured. "A place of pure magic." She looked at Anubis, amused at his mortification. He obviously knew a good deal about what she was explaining to her husband. "Zairian's homeland and the place we are about to tap into."

"What?" Anubis exploded. "I thought that we were using the oracles so we could go back to our dimension and help the others."

"And what help would we be?" Mieren asked softly. "We're too weak to fight without the powers of the outlanders."

"But I… I can't," Rowen managed to choke out, looking completely lost.

"Power up as far as you can manage," Mieren instructed, waiting nervously for him to comply. The oracle had shifted slightly to face them, obviously growing irritated at the delay. Rowen shifted uncertainly, cresting eight feet as he threatened to tap into the darker arts. Mieren pursed her lips and snagged his wrist, sending a fierce jolt of energy through his system that caused him to drop to his knees, convulsing.

Rowen only managed to choke on his tongue when he tried to cry out in pain, his throat lengthening ever so slightly. His face distended beyond the eerie ridges that had already existed in his vampire form, lengthening into a short muzzle lined with long, sharp teeth. He managed a whimper when his back bulged strangely for a moment before twin sets of overlapping wings erupted on either side of his spine. The four wings tangled slightly as they drooped.

"My God," Sage whispered, stepping forward uncertainly when Rowen convulsed again, his legs restructuring themselves roughly.

Mieren moved unconcerned past him to pull her still trembling husband to his feet, pushing him towards the waiting oracle. He staggered unsteadily before collapsing a few feet from the sphinx, unable to compensate for the weight of the wings on his back and his newly jointed legs. The fact that a slender five-foot tail kept tangling itself in his legs didn't seem to be helping matters any. Unnerved though he was, he was also unwilling to give in so easily, staggering forward unsteadily on all fours. Mieren waited just long enough to see him stumble out the far end of the pulsing blue figure and assume his place in the ring before moving on. The ninth sphinx was waiting on them.

"_The son born to trickery's might holds the powers I must fight. The true appearance revealed at last, holds the key to the master's past."_

"Sage, that's you," Mieren called over her shoulder, already moving towards the next sphinx with Anubis in tow.

"Dare I even ask what it meant?" he called after them. Mieren paused.

"I can safely assume that you don't want to know," she answered, refusing to look back at him. "Trust me, Sage. Don't ask."

Sage blatantly ignored the warning and crossed his arms defiantly. "Mieren."

She sighed and glanced back at him. "Just join the circle for now. If you really want me to, I'll explain later."

Grinding his teeth audibly, he obeyed. The sphinx had already mimicked his fully transformed state, appearing to be some horrid cross between a werewolf and a centaur. Sage threw one last glare at Mieren's back before matching forms with the ninth oracle and trotting through the emerald luminescence.

"This riddle's going to be hard," Anubis muttered sarcastically as they neared the last sphinx. "I can just see it now. Who are we going to choose to pass through?"

"_Thirteen has the shadow spawned to rise in power at the new day dawned. My master may against them stand, with the might of his people in his hand."_

Anubis blinked at the strange riddle and shrugged, turning to Mieren to have the shield on his mind removed. She did so absently, her mind elsewhere. The sphinx watched him as he approached, surging into a huge replica of the young-looking man, naked as the day he was born. Anubis shook his head wryly, trying to ignore the hoots and rude comments from the others when he realized that, like Dais, he was going to be on display. The fact that Dais seemed to be leading most of the commentary wasn't helping the crimson stain across his face.

He started forward, pulling back in shock when the sphinx suddenly rounded on him with narrowed eyes. It was disconcerting to see the enormous coppery image of himself scowling so darkly, even more so when he heard Mieren stifle a giggle. The oracle quickly ended his confusion by straightening haughtily, large pointed ears emerging from beneath his thick mane of hair. A matching longish foxtail suddenly curved behind and around the legs of the last oracle as it turned once more to the circle and assumed its place. Silence dominated in the circle where lewd comments had reigned only moments before. Anubis's jaw dropped.

"Go on. Match it," Mieren prompted insensitively when Anubis wobbled and sank unsteadily to the ground. He looked at her incredulously.

"How?" he asked thickly. "I can't do that. I… I'm human."

Mieren raised one eyebrow, visibly amused. "Since when? I knew what you were from the first time I saw you, little youko." Anubis flinched and pulled back, shaking his head in denial. She sighed. "Must I nudge you like I did Rowen?"

"No," he said quickly, voice quivering slightly. "No. That's not necessary," he murmured, slowly regaining his feet. His eyes remained locked on the oracle in front of him when he continued, voice growing increasingly frantic. "Why didn't you tell me? You knew what I was. You never said anything. You knew about Rowen and Dais too. I'm sure of it." He froze, rounding on Mieren furiously. "How much do you know? What are you refusing to tell us?"

"That's not important now," she growled under her breath. "Match it and take your place in the ring." Noticing the stubborn look creeping into his eyes, she sighed noisily and shook her head. "Now look. I know many things, many of which you would be happier not knowing. If you truly wish it, I'll start letting on a few of the more important facts whenever they come up. I'll explain more when this is over. Agreed?"

Anubis nodded slowly, still looking shaken. Mieren clapped him on the shoulder, a small spark of energy coursing from her hand and through his veins. He barely flinched when enormous, white-tipped pointed ears rose out of his longish hair, a matching tail appearing behind him, twitching nervously. Dais was the first to break the tension when Anubis slowly started for the sphinx.

"Take it off, baby!" she hooted. "The oracle doesn't do you justice!"

"What are you talking about?" Kayura called. "The sphinx's mirrored image is bigger than he is! If that's even close to accurate, he's hung like a horse!"

"And you _would_ know that," Cale responded slyly, throwing an evil look at Sage and earning himself an irritated glare.

"I just want to know how he survived in the days before jockstraps," Rowen smirked, oblivious to the fact that Anubis was already redder than his hair.

"I want to know how he can walk," Touma called out loudly.

"Probably with a good deal of back problems," Mieren teased as Anubis finally reached his position in the circle and covered his crimson face with his hands and his front with his tail. She nodded to herself, silently thanking Dais for distracting him from his oncoming nervous breakdown. She was about to slip between the two nearest oracles when all ten sphinxes turned as one to face her. Confused, and more than slightly worried, she froze.

"_That which the mind shall control must pass through ten as a whole. From ten shall the pinnacle choose, and the other nine powers the point shall lose. Ten unite and ten shall free the powers of eternity."_

"You bastards," Mieren breathed, suddenly realizing why their riddles had been so easy before. All of their trials to reach this point and ready the inner circle were nothing more than one unending joke to the elementals' creations. They had anticipated that she would commit the others to the positions in the ring of power, only to lose them to the last riddle. She knew the answer, what they demanded that she do, but didn't know if she could follow through with it.

"What's going on?" Touma demanded loudly, turning slightly to face her. The oracle behind him spun with ferocious speed to face him, pinning him firmly to the barren earth with a massive, clawed foot. Rowen and Sage nearly shifted to try to help him before they were reprimanded sharply.

"Hold your positions!" Mieren snapped, still watching the increasingly furious oracles as they awaited her answer. Only hesitating a moment, she moved towards the sphinx of air, following behind it numbly as it reclaimed its position in the ring. The others glanced at her once last time before following suit, causing her to scowl more darkly. She could have sworn that they were laughing at her.

"So now what?" Rowen asked tentatively, trying to eye the oracle over his shoulder without moving.

"I don't know," Mieren admitted softly, averting her eyes. "None of my spies ever made it this far before they were killed."

"How much did they actually find out before…" Anubis trailed off shakily, still in shock and unable to finish.

"Not as much as I'd have liked," she sighed. "They never managed to relay much more than one or two of the riddles before they died, and the oracles appear to change their little speeches with every individual that approaches them." The long slender tail just in front of her waved impatiently and she flinched. "Now be quiet. I have to concentrate."

She was thankful that they obeyed her as she closed her eyes in meditation. She knew what she was to do, and had actually managed it in the past, just never to this massive scale. They had told her to pass through each of them simultaneously before arriving in the center to act as the pinnacle for the powers of her friends. The sphinxes were oblivious to the fact that she could split herself into multiple forms, allowing her the possibility of complying with their impossible request. However, the most she could manage without extreme difficulty was four images of herself. She had never before passed pushing her mind in six directions and it had nearly killed her the last time she had managed it. Ten was simply out of the question, but she didn't have a choice.

Mieren shivered slightly at the first split, holding her consciousness steady as her mirror image turned to the sphinx of spirit on her right at her request. She and her double each split again, one heading to the unattended oracle on each side, water and light. Nervousness set in as she readied to try again, nearly collapsing from the strain as a fifth and sixth copy appeared and moved on to life and illusion. Several worried glances were directed towards her as she stiffened for the fourth time, her slender form flickering dangerously towards oblivion as she split again, the seventh and eighth carbon copies falling in behind the oracles of fire and darkness.

Every eye of every sphinx had turned to her from where she stood behind Rowen, eyeing both her and her seven duplicates with an air of obvious surprise. They obviously hadn't expected her to solve the riddle, let alone attempt to comply.

_Just earth and poison to go,_ she thought numbly, nearly slipping to the stone below in her exhaustion. All seven of her replicas had begun to slump where they stood, lacking both the strength of flesh and the mental conviction to remain upright. Hissing obstinately, Mieren straightened shakily and willed for the last of her twinned selves to split for the last time. Almost instantly, the ninth and tenth figures appeared and staggered to the final oracles, unable to stand any better than she could. As tired as she was, she nearly forgot a vital step before proceeding through the shocked sphinxes.

"Have to match," she whispered almost to herself. Twin sets of leathery wings unfurled behind her along with a five-foot tail, her legs reforming with two sets of joints, the one nearer her hip following in the expected direction. The second swung her legs forward and were startlingly flexible, allowing her to swivel the last third of her legs nearly three hundred and sixty degrees. She grinned weakly around a faint muzzle, understanding suddenly why Rowen had been wobbling so badly.

Looking to her sides, she nodded bleakly to herself. In the back of her mind, she still held the consciousness of each of her nine other selves, none of which could even breathe without her explicit instructions. She was pleased to see that even now, she had been able to properly push them into the correct forms, only the gender varying. Winged-wolf, cougar, youko, dragon, centaur, wolf-centaur, demented lizard, bat on crack, wonder woman who jiggled incessantly, outlander… She nodded and began moving each section of herself forward, certain that they were all in proper form even if they all looked, and felt, half dead.

A chill swept across her skin as she slipped through the oracles, magnified by the fact that she passed through all ten simultaneously. Visions flashed before her eyes of raging fires, whipping winds, endless darkness… She steeled her nerves, trying to hold her mind steady as she moved forward, towards what she knew to be the far sides of each of the sphinxes. She emerged suddenly, free of the hallucinogenic illusions, trying to steady herself and her demolished equilibrium. Several of her friends flinched and struggled to get a better look at her ten ghostly images of themselves without moving, distracting her minimally as she moved ever towards the center.

"Hold still," she commanded weakly from ten throats, too weary to separate her consciousness further and speak in one voice alone.

She started to shift each of her selves slightly to the side to pass by the ten rigid figures already in the ring of power. The sphinxes saw her slight alteration in movement and stiffened, eyes flaring into unearthly milky globes. Obediently, each of her friends already in the ring spun to face her, blank orbs locked onto her as she froze in confusion.

Rowen straightened with surprising ease, balanced perfectly on his doubly jointed legs that she knew he could not control on his own. His mouth cracked in a twisted grin, too cold and lifeless to be his own.

"_Neither to the left or right may you proceed, nor in any form may you walk through. Neighbored pinnacles must you always heed, each of us shall border two,"_ he murmured in her ear. She shivered, resisting the urge to step back from his deathly cold breath, trying not to pay attention to the taunting message as it was repeated from nine other sources.

"The darkness consume you," she mumbled darkly, really starting to hate the sphinxes. They were beginning to get obnoxious about this. Their eyes spoke volumes of how much they knew about her, making her seriously wonder if they knew what exactly she was up to. They knew she sought access to the outlands, but hopefully not why. The elementals were neither light nor dark, not paying much attention to the workings of magic of any sort, but she feared they would make an exception if they knew what she planned.

Mieren had to fight to keep from swearing as she began, knowing perfectly well that she couldn't perform many more of their stunts before losing consciousness. If she passed out, all of the others were as good as dead and she would have to find new means by which to gain access to the outlands. Her battle to control her language lost out to irritation and she took a deep breath, uttering a solid stream of obscenities under her breath as she proceeded.

Each of her ten almost translucent forms rippled slightly, each splitting reluctantly into two almost identical images. Only one difference showed in the twined forms in front of each of the elemental sphinxes. The form on the right was a perfect milky copy of the form she had held only seconds before. The image on the left was a shadow of the other, translucent obsidian. All twenty of the replicas staggered and sank to the ground, unable to move steadily off of one mind's strength. It took almost all of Mieren's strength to force herself and all of her copies upright, one of each set stumbling to either side of the others. Instantly, hands reached out from her possessed friends to block her path. She scowled angrily and rounded on the sphinxes, taxing what was left of her rapidly diminishing energy.

"_Oh no you don't. I am not passing either left or right. Both is not 'or' no matter how you look at it! I neglect neither the oracle on left or right and there's two of me."_

Twenty identical expressions of pure hatred and dark resentment appeared on the twenty vastly different faces. It was obvious that no one had ever managed to pass them before and they were clearly indignant at her disruption of their flawless work. She turned her backs on the angry split oracles and proceeded to the center of the circle her friends bordered, their expressions growing softer as she pushed by them, dead on her feet. Once in the center, she hurriedly merged into a single form, almost collapsing in exhaustion and relief before remembering that her work was far from done.

Conflagrations of power rose around her in an instant, the power of ten elemental masters coursing through her veins as the unending fogs of the astral plane answered to their unspoken call. Throat locked around a scream of agony, Mieren could only watch through glazed eyes as a gateway slowly opened before them. Even through her pain, she managed to curl her lips into a feral smile. She had done it.

---

Kenji slowly raised his head, sensitive to the most delicate ripples of power in his dimension and those bordering it for at least four or five realities out. He could detect the slightest changes in the wind and darkness even further. The only problem was that this was not a slight change or delicate ripple in any meaning of the words. Three dimensions had shrieked in harmony, two of which he didn't recognize even though they seemed to touch his own. Both Siellon and Neris glanced at him questioningly when he pushed away from the table and headed numbly for the front door. For him to miss a meal was unthinkable.

"_What's wrong?"_ Siellon asked, his shaggy mane of snowy locks bouncing wildly around his shoulders as he tilted his head slightly. Kenji shook his head numbly without looking back at them.

"_Didn't you guys feel that?"_ he whispered. He was almost oblivious to anything they might have answered, jerking slightly when Neris chuckled under his breath.

"_Still hearing ripples of a past life?"_ he laughed when he was certain he had caught the other man's attention. _"Try to ignore it. You-know-who, or one of her unearthly spawn, is probably just screwing around again. This wouldn't be the first time they've nearly all given us coronaries with some of their little stunts."_

"_Too true,"_ Siellon agreed, obviously amused. _"I can still hear Mieren swearing from the last time that Cye blew up all the toilets in one wing of his school with a bag of cherry bombs."_

"_I don't remember exactly what she said,"_ Neris murmured, grinning from ear to pointed ear. _"My head is _still_ ringing."_

"_I don't think she realizes just how loud her telepathic screams can get."_

"_Probably not."_

"That's not it!" Kenji snarled, accidentally dropping the sorcerer tongue in his frustration. His eyes slipped into and out of focus sharply. _"I think someone just opened an interdimensional gateway."_

"_Big deal,"_ Neris laughed. _"Once again, Mieren…"_

"_Would you two listen?"_ he snapped, rounding on the light and dark elves in a cold fury. Shocked at his sudden temperamental swing, they fell silent. _"Don't you understand? Can't you feel it? I think someone's managed to reach or escape the astral plane."_

Siellon stiffened, an amethyst glow springing up around his dark form instantly as he strained to see what his friend was talking about. Beneath his obsidian skin, he paled.

"_Who?"_

Kenji shook his head numbly. _"There are two gates,"_ he murmured, straining again to understand what he sensed. _"No, wait. There's only one, but it leads in two directions."_ He paused, face taking on a pallid, sickly tinge. _"It's originating from the astral plane. Impossible."_

"_Where does it lead?"_ Neris asked, seeming unnaturally pale against his mop of unruly azure hair.

"_One of the routes leads back to the Ronin's dimension, and the other… the other leads to the… the outlands,"_ Kenji finished numbly, barely breathing. _"I had always prayed that the dark lands were only a legend."_

"_Mieren is holding it open,"_ Siellon said suddenly, eyes shifting between crimson and amethyst as he strained to sense what was going on. _"It can't be that bad if she's in control."_

Kenji closed his eyes without responding. He had been the one to design the girl and he knew perfectly well what she was capable of. No matter how perfectly she had played her part the last time he had seen her, she could not hide the truth of her true nature from him. He knew.

Uncomfortably aware that his friends' eyes were still on him, he silently left the house and headed for the outskirts of the elfin community. Several minutes passed in silence as he made sure that neither of his friends had followed him, knowing that they would get hurt if they did. Neris was a master of almost every weapon in existence and Siellon was one of the strongest elfin sorcerers he had ever encountered aside from Mouri, but he knew that neither of them stood a chance in the upcoming battle. He pushed a small gateway open and moved out of his home dimension for what he feared would be the last time.

---

White Blaze raised his head suddenly, rumbling out a loud greeting as a familiar figure stepped into view. Chimera raised her head sleepily as her off-watch was abruptly interrupted, eyes trailing across the starless sky before she regarded their visitor disinterestedly. Not recognizing the intruder as quickly, Flame, Mist and Shadow surged to their feet, preparing to attack.

Spotting the five great cats almost immediately, Kenji turned towards them wearily, hoping that they knew the exact location of their masters. With the clustering of the youko and their horrendous powers, it was impossible for him to distinguish an individual's mind. It only took him a mere instant to realize that the three youngest cats didn't know him, but that was too long.

Unimaginable profanity rang through the air as he was suddenly buried under several hundred pounds of fur and claws. Luckily for him, White Blaze had issued a warning growl, preventing the three monstrous beasts from proceeding with their assaults, even if it was far too late for them to have changed their trajectories. He managed to untangle himself after a few moments of breathless squirming.

"Now look," he panted, unsure of what language he should use. Knowing the Ronins, the beasts were probably as familiar with the sorcerer tongue as they were with Japanese. He wouldn't put it past them to understand the demon tongue as well. "I need to find the others. Where are they?"

_Coming,_ Chimera assured him. Kenji cringed, having been unaware that the great cats had learned that particular form of communication. She looked away from him and let out something that was half sigh, half growl. _They are coming, Child of the Midnight Shadows. They will be here soon._

Kenji nodded, wondering if he should move towards the youko to see if he could help them. He stopped short at the leopard's sad gaze.

"Who told you to guard the ledge?" he asked softly.

_A friend,_ the panther informed him warily, still not trusting him entirely.

_An elemental,_ a snow leopard tried to elaborate, glaring at the panther darkly. _Do you not know him, brother? He will help us._

"I'll do what I can, but I'm not sure I'll be much of a help," he murmured. The old white tiger walked up to him and inclined his head as though greeting an equal.

_You are a master of darkness,_ he stated simply. _Have you strength in the neighboring powers as well?_

"A little," he admitted, flinching slightly. The last time he had attempted to play with a few illusions he had almost set himself on fire. After that, he had been afraid to try his hand at poison manipulation.

_Summon the armor orbs of illusion and poison,_ Chimera prompted quickly. _The others have summoned all of the other suits of armor, but still lack those._

"What am I going to do with them?" he asked, not pausing for an answer before he began concentrating. The stone beneath him heaved slightly from the proximity of a nearby gateway that he could not see. The knowledge that Mieren was on the other side was not entirely comforting. Their last meeting had left him believing that she was not the pure soul she pretended to be. The fact that she had gained access to the light arts was a sure indication that she was not the creature of darkness she had once been, but still, he worried.

_There are two among those coming that can take them,_ the snow leopard assured him softly. He nodded at her gratefully, thankful that they had not been intending on asking him to use the orbs. The results would have been disastrous.

Before he had time to flinch, the blue flames dancing in his palms erupted into new colors, a deep green in his left hand and a stunning violet in his right. He nodded jerkily towards the five impatient cats, one of which had disappeared into the darkness.

_Be patient,_ White Blaze murmured. _They come._

---

To Be Continued…


	8. Chapter 8

Outlands

Part 8

By Mieren

---

As suddenly as they had begun, Len's screams ceased.

Lanfear only glanced at him once before leaping away, her attacks on his slender form forgotten as he struggled to straighten. Her eyes traced the harsh lines of the twin sets of wings on his back as she stepped out of existence once more, a look of mingled fear and triumph on her hardened face. Len slumped to the ground, exhausted, oblivious to Terru's nervous approach or Rune's gentle hands as he was pulled to a sitting position.

"Fifteenth child of eternity?" Terru asked shakily. "Are you… okay?"

"Fine," Len grated out past a locked jaw. He lurched upright, slipping unsteadily and tumbling into Rune's outstretched arms. Glancing up at the redhead, he was suddenly thankful that the older man could get around so quickly. Distracted with such unimportant thoughts, it took him a moment to realize that his legs didn't work properly. His blankly searching eyes found that his legs had stretched by almost half their length and sported a second joint that swiveled in almost any direction. "What the hell…"

Shocked at the strange jointing, he turned to Vera angrily. He had been expecting the burst of power that had left him more than slightly delirious, but not a change in shape. He knew without looking that he had a long slender tail and twin sets of completely overlapping wings designed for ferocious aerial combat. He had not intended on assuming this form so early.

"Light save us," Ritsuko breathed, resisting the urge to run. She was too familiar with his form to manage to force herself to relax the muscles across her shoulders and down her back. Glancing at Mouri's ashen complexion, she could safely assume that he knew what he was looking at as well.

Oblivious to the fact that he had just become the center of attention, Len rounded on Vera angrily. "What did you do that for?" he snapped past a short muzzle and jagged teeth. "It wasn't time! Do you know what you've done?"

She stiffened angrily. "I did what I had to," she snarled back at him. "We were _losing_, in case you didn't notice." Len sniffed angrily and held out an open palm to make his point, a navy blue sphere resting in his taloned hand. Vera gasped softly.

"I can't use it in this form," he spat, one eyebrow arching speculatively as he turned to Mouri, who quickly shook his head.

"I can only use water," he answered stiffly. "Darkness is out of the question."

_There is another who can use it,_ a thought came from the shadows. Following closely behind it came a massive tiger, butting up roughly against Akira before circling to Len's side. _The ancient master of darkness is waiting for you._

"Shit," Mouri growled under his breath, exhaling heavily and looking more than slightly furious. "Are they waiting for us at the ledge?"

_Yes,_ Flame rumbled. _We have been there for some time, waiting as instructed._ He locked his too-intelligent eyes on Len as he wobbled unsteadily on doubly jointed legs with an irate expression on his face. _Come, Len. We will go to Zairian's Ledge. The master there has with him the last two armor orbs._

"How did he get those?" Akira groused darkly, glancing protectively towards Ryoko. With three armor orbs to be placed, he was certain that somehow, his little sister was going to end up with one even though she displayed no elemental powers in any of the remaining fields.

_He borders both powers,_ the tiger said, looking at him like he was an idiot. _Come, they are waiting and the gateway from the astral plane is already open._

Len didn't hesitate before pulling himself onto Flame's back, knowing that for the moment, he couldn't match the others in speed. Given time to accommodate to his new form, he would be able to surpass them easily, but until that time, he was all but crippled.

"The gate must be opened," he called out loudly as Flame started moving. "Mother cannot hold her end steady for very long."

The tiger swerved slightly to pick up Mia and Mana before starting forward, his lithe body and youthful strength forcing the others to strain to keep up. Several, including Ella, Gau and Akira, were forced to assume their alternate forms to match the young tiger's speed. After throwing one last look of pure dread at Len, Rune simply disappeared into the shadows and flanked them with the tremendously nervous youko. They were surprised by how short of a run they actually had to complete before reaching a cliff sporting four great cats and one dusty and bruised sorcerer.

"I was wondering when you'd get here," he called out, choking on his tongue when Len came into view.

"Do you have the orbs?" Len called out demandingly, slowing Flame to a walk so Mia and Mana could dismount. He guided the tiger towards the visibly shaking sorcerer, who hurriedly fumbled to hand the twin orbs to him.

"Yes, outlander," he murmured submissively, eyes threatening to bulge from his head. He looked as though he was fighting to keep from spinning on his toes and running for his life. Despite himself, Len grinned.

"You don't recognize me?" he asked innocently, holding out the deep blue armor orb of darkness, which Kenji claimed gingerly. "From what I hear, you were there to help Uncle Mouri deliver me. Why are you acting like this, Uncle Kenji?"

Kenji's jaw dropped, twitching weakly as he fought to recall the name he hadn't heard in several years. "Len?" he asked in disbelief. At the answering grin, he scowled at the gathering group behind the boy, trying his best to ignore the unusually somber youko accumulating in the shadows behind them. "And you didn't tell me about _this_?" he snarled, waving one hand in Len's direction furiously.

"No time," Mouri answered offhandedly, grinning rather nastily. Kenji scowled. Although their combat was no longer deadly, it still existed, mostly in pranks, embarrassing references the occasional jibe.

"Why are you trying to get to the outlands?" he asked angrily, still furious that they had let him act like a fool for no good reason.

"Because some of us can actually use the powers there," Vera said quickly. "Now get ready. Mother is waiting."

Len didn't wait for Kenji to set his armor orb, turning instead to Katari and Ryoko with the last two orbs in hand. He grinned widely, flashing his elongated fangs at them.

"Daughter of illusion," he intoned, tossing the violet orb to Katari.

She only blinked at it before slapping it onto the back of her wrist, face screwing up in concentration as the sphere slowly sank into her arm. A flash of violet light came from the orb, paling into a crystalline lavender, intricate images of wolves running in a pack appearing on her arm. They looked almost as though they were moving.

"Done," she announced formally, holding up her arm for inspection. Len nodded, pleased, and moved over to Ryoko.

"Sister of poison," he started, pausing when Akira snatched the orb out of the air as Len tossed it towards its intended target. "What are you doing?"

"Leave my sister out of this," he snapped. "She can't use that orb any more than Ella can use the one she was given." Ella kicked him vindictively.

"Give me that," Ella ordered, prying the orb out of his hand and tossing it to Ryoko. "We can take them out later."

"How would you even know if that were possible?"

"Because Len doesn't have his," Ella said lightly, nodding happily to herself when she saw that Ryoko, with Len's help, had managed to sink the sphere into her arm while her older brother was distracted. The cinnamon brown orb was flanked by a feathery pattern that encompassed her arm until just past her elbow.

"Circle around where the great cats are standing," a voice called from before them, his form licked by deep shadows despite the fact that he was in the open. "Hurry. Before _she_ comes back."

"Who are…" Mana started, freezing as she recognized the voice, altered with age but one she knew well. Her voice was little more than breath as she called out the name playing on the tip of her tongue. "Cye?"

At the sound of the name, the shadows dissolved into nothingness. Standing just off to the side of the ledge they needed was an older, hardened Cye. He appeared to be somewhere in his early to mid-thirties, tips of elfin ears showing from beneath a mane of thick russet hair streaked with black. Mana gasped and jerked slightly, unsure whether she should move away, as her nerves dictated, or rush forward and embrace her oldest son, as she wished. One look at his hard face and lifeless obsidian eyes pushed her towards the former, and she moved slightly back, nearing the youko.

Cye moved fluidly towards them, oblivious to their questions and searching looks as he began pushing them into a rough circle around something that they couldn't see. White Blaze rumbled loudly at him, ducking his head slightly at the unheard response and moving back to stand with the youko, who gave him a surprisingly wide clearance. Vicious glances were exchanged as Cye and Len neared each other, Vera joining the latter's side defensively. Cye only scowled darkly and turned to Kenji.

"Why are you not ready?" he snarled, face hardening when the older man flinched uncertainly and eyed the globe in his hand.

"Are you sure about this, Cye?" he asked softly, eyes flickering to Len and Vera. When he received a sharp nod, he tightened his right fist convulsively, armor orb surfacing on his wrist and flaring into a pattern that resembled nothing more than deep, navy veins. Nodding to himself, he held up his arm for inspection, molten metal flashing outwards from the perfect sphere to cover him in a skintight suit of armor.

"Ready the chain," Cye called out imperiously.

Everyone already standing where he had pushed them into a specific order called their armor, except for Ella, who just stared blankly at the lifeless orb in her arm. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Rune clapped one hand on her shoulder, the thorny pattern on her arm flaring with amber light and flowing outwards into an amber and opal suit of shimmering armor. She flinched slightly at his following grin, wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her when she caught a glimpse of slight fangs.

"I will act as the pinnacle," Len announced suddenly, pushing past Cye to enter the circle. Cye looked murderous.

"You will not," he snapped, earning himself several wary looks and identical glares from the twins. "It is not your place to act as the center for the gateway."

"You're not strong enough for that," Len countered.

"I'm stronger than you think, young uncle."

"Is it really that important?" Mouri asked firmly, pulling the two apart before they came to physical blows. He flinched away from their matching gazes of annoyance, both of their auras so twisted that they were almost unrecognizable.

"I guess not," Cye finally conceded darkly. Several sighs of relief could be heard as he backed off, leaving the circle unopposed. Len grinned victoriously as he claimed the point at the absolute center of the rough ring. "You should begin now. I believe that Grandmother is growing tired."

"Done," Len said haughtily.

He had barely reached his place before flashes of magical and elemental energies erupted from the circle. Unwilling to crumple under the fierce energy, Len straightened on his strangely long legs, easily passing six and a half feet for his slight ten years. Lacking heels, he was forced to unfurl his sets of wings to maintain his balance as the whipping energies around him intensified. A gently pulsing light appeared beneath his feet, raising into a simple column of fog that stopped abruptly at the ring or armored youths and sorcerers.

Grinning widely, Len stepped unharmed out of the column of boiling whiteness, waving the others away from the ring where they stood their ground nervously. At the first sign of movement from within the pearly mist, he moved to Vera's side, his knowing smirk matching hers exactly.

---

Mieren sank to her knees, eyes watering in pain as the power coursing through her veins increased sharply. The one-way barrier between the astral plane and any reality it touched was defying her, refusing to allow her to break through in reverse. The weave she held trembled slightly, nearly collapsing as she struggled to accomplish the impossible. The others were not yet at Zairian's Ledge and she couldn't wait for them to make it there. Already looking murderous at her first success, the sphinxes would not allow her to try a second time.

The barrier before her dissolved suddenly, flashes of light and color penetrating her blurred vision. A pillar of fog descended on her, shifting from white to black depending on which angle she viewed it from. Within the whiteness, she saw her youngest son's altered figure for an instant before he disappeared, clearing the path for them to pass.

"Excellent, Len," she breathed, feeling the pressure on her mind ease slightly. She quickly gathered the ends of the weave, the ten elemental bases, and tied them to herself so that they could move freely without the gateway collapsing. "Move through one at a time," she instructed. "Go through in the order you stepped into the ring and be sure to stay at an angle where you can see only whiteness in the pillar."

Ryo moved forward warily, edging slightly to his side without blinking. The oracle scrutinized his every move until he started to move towards the gently boiling column. Without warning, the massive figure burst into red mist and swirled viciously around Ryo, creating a startled yelp and a burst of flames. The raging fires cleared away as suddenly as they had started, leaving him standing trembling beside the ever-changing pillar of mist.

Seeing Mieren's reassuring nod, he moved into the pillar of mist. He had only taken a few steps in the all concealing whiteness before he burst into clear air, a strangled cheer sounding to his side just before he was bowled to the ground by his wife and daughter. A disbelieving grin broke out on his wolfish features for an instant before he could shift back to human form, his tattered remains of clothes hanging limply off of his pale form.

Ryo hadn't been standing there for more than a few seconds before Sehkmet ran out of the fog nervously, still trailing thin strands of forest green mist that disappeared before he could even regain his balance. He blinked confusedly, pausing just outside the pillar of fog with a disbelieving look plaguing his face as his gaze shifted between the column of fog and Rune.

Kento calmly stepped past him as he emerged, Ritsuko and Ryoko latching onto him almost instantly. Akira promptly turned the reunion into a huge pile of tangled arms and legs, nearly crushing his little sister in his enthusiasm.

Cale paused almost immediately after emerging from the mists, jaw dropping at the sight of his ancestor in his armor. Muttering something about 'deja voo' under his breath, he moved away from the whiteness, pulling Sehkmet behind him largely by virtue of force. His eyes flickered over the youko, pausing as they passed over Rune. He looked back to the mist uncertainly as though somehow his friend had managed to pass through in the wrong order. Seeing a silvery youko whispering softly to the smiling redhead, he decided he didn't want to know who the lookalike was. Anubis was terrified of the fox demons after some of the things he had seen them do. He himself remembered Mieren's attack on the Dynasty long ago when they still fought for Talpa, a single youko accompanying her terrifying army. That single black fox had blown away a goodly bit of the Dynasty grounds before seeing Anubis and freezing in his tracks, giving Sehkmet that vital second he needed to slaughter him from behind.

A burst of laughter greeted Dais as she emerged from the opaque pillar of mist. Akira and Gau doubled over almost immediately at her appearance, even blushing themselves from some of the dirtier comments the youko were coming up with. Rune blushed furiously and averted his eyes. Bright red and completely humiliated despite the fact that she had changed back almost the second she had stepped from the portal, she sprinted over to hide behind a nearby tree, quickly relocating herself after being pinched by a rowdy youko.

A battered looking Touma stumbled out next, his dragon form not having offered sufficient protection from the sphinx's angry blows. Mana made her way to him quickly, babying him gently as she snarled over her shoulder for Gau to do something for him if he ever intended on having children. Len and Vera grinned from a short distance off, their eyes still fixed on the slightly pulsing pillar. Touma nearly choked on his tongue after getting a good look at his little brother's new form, his aura of unfathomable power almost visible to the naked eye. He looked almost envious that he couldn't manage that form as well.

Seeing Kayura all but sprint out of the fogs, he redirected Gau's worried gaze with one hand, the younger man nearly falling flat on his face as he scrambled in his mother's direction. Ella and Katari were only a step behind him as he crashed into his mother, nearly carrying them both back into the pillar of mist. They were saved from that danger as Rowen staggered out unsteadily, catching them awkwardly just before they hit the boiling whiteness.

He glanced around for his children, eyes rolling towards the heavens when he got a good look at his youngest son. Len and Vera stared back at him as though in shock, conversing quietly and making sharp gestures at each other angrily. Rowen silently wondered if Vera could assume that shape as well, making a note to himself to ask Mieren once she emerged from the astral plane. Shaking his head, he moved over to check on Touma, wondering why the twins were avoiding him like the plague. Another question to ask. He shifted jerkily back to a human form as he walked, too weary to maintain the form of an outlander. Just holding that form for the short time he had needed to have taken nearly all of his strength and he was exhausted. He couldn't imagine actually fighting in that form. The mere _thought_ of how much energy that would take made him sleepy. He wondered if Len had actually been forced to fight like that, feeling instantly sorry for him if he had.

A dark gray wolfish centaur wandered stiffly out of the haze trailing emerald streamers that vanished quickly. It was obvious that the pillar made him extremely nervous, but Sage was not the type to allow his emotions to be read. Seeing Kayura and his children already in a pile nearby, he eagerly shifted into a more manageable form and joined in the tangle.

The din grew louder as the reunions shifted more towards explaining what had happened in each dimension. Soft barks and growls could be heard from the youko as they waited impatiently for Anubis to arrive, Rune even moving a few steps towards the pillar of fog before thinking better of it. Several tense minutes passed in the increasing silence before a tenth ripple appeared in the boiling opal pillar, a very despondent Anubis stepping into the clearing. He choked on his tongue when Rune all but tackled him in a furious hug, lifting him several inches off the ground in his eagerness to see his brother.

"I can't believe it!" Rune laughed, tightening his grip when Anubis squirmed uncomfortably in his efforts to breathe. "I haven't seen you in over five hundred years! I was beginning to think that I'd never find you, brother!"

Anubis blinked, opened his mouth wordlessly and blinked again, utterly at a loss for words. He said the first thing that came to his numb mind.

"Who are you?"

Rune pulled back, looking hurt. "I'm your big brother, Rune," he murmured, shoulders drooping slightly. "I thought that you would at least remember me when you saw me, Anubis. I suppose that the Warrior of the Starlight damaged your memories."

"Quite possibly," Mieren interrupted stiffly, pulling herself free of the fogs with more than a little difficulty. "Talpa always was an idiot. Never could get even the simplest consciousness binding spells to work without obliterating the mind."

Ignoring the startled looks of some of the group gathered around her, she looked to the heavens with clouded eyes, murmuring something under her breath to an unseen listener. The entirety of the dimension rippled as though in pain, the very essence of being groaning in denial. The pillar flared into a surreal light, casting ever-shifting shadows across the dull surroundings. Mieren raised watering eyes to the brilliance of the column of fog before her, mouth twisting into a disbelieving smile as she saw the fully formed gateway in all its glory. Cye stiffened and disappeared abruptly, throwing one final scowl at Len and Vera as he vanished into thin air. Terru and Rune scowled darkly and moved to intercept the twins as they approached their mother.

"We've done it," Mieren breathed, barely aware that the others had abandoned their reunions with their friends and families to watch her worriedly. "The interdimensional gateway to the outlands has been opened. After all of these years, I've succeeded."

"What do you mean 'after all of these years'?" Rowen prompted uncertainly, wary of the soulless look that had entered his wife's luminescent jade eyes. Mieren didn't even hear him, stepping forward as though in a trance to pass through the glowing warmth. Her eyes roved across the trembling group surrounding the opening of the gateway, hoards of youko clustering around them, eyes glinting suspiciously. Len and Vera looked at her demandingly, youthful eyes awaiting whatever she had to tell them. They stiffened slightly when Terru and Rune appeared in front of them, their eyes demanding answers.

"Len. Vera. The new beginning I have told you about for so many years has finally come, my children. It is time," Mieren murmured. Her eyes hardened further, losing any look of humanity they had ever held, face steeling into something far beyond bloodthirsty. Rowen stiffened and took a step away from her, Touma following worriedly. She seemed oblivious to their presence as she continued in the same deadened voice. "Have you spoken with the others?"

"No, Mother," Len mumbled humbly. "But they can be called if you wish it."

"They are standing ready for your command," Vera added, ducking her head ever so slightly.

"Then call them," Mieren hissed.

"What in the hell is going on?" Anubis demanded, momentarily coming out of his shock of learning that he had a brother. He uttered a faint squeak and scrambled away when Lanfear stepped out of the air at Mieren's side. Touma choked on a shout and lashed out blindly, only to have his shot slapped away almost in irritation.

"Greetings, little sister," she breathed. "Were you successful?"

"Yes," Mieren murmured. "The gates to eternity have finally been opened." She glanced at her double with an almost amused expression. "Where are the others?"

"Coming," she laughed. "It's about time you were ready."

"What is going on?" Terru snarled, temporarily forgetting Len and Vera as he advanced on Mieren. The youko general surged into an almost twenty foot fox-like form and adopted a defensive stance, nine silvery tails standing rigid behind him. He opened his mouth to say more, Len silencing him prematurely by slitting the back of his exposed thigh. Vera followed him closely, pearly claws ripping across his face savagely. A flash of silver crossed Len's vision suddenly, depriving him of one of his eyes. Before he had a chance to retaliate, Rune's scythe flashed past him again, coming a hairsbreadth from taking his remaining eye. As it was, he found himself sporting a vicious slash across his cheek.

"What are you two doing?" Touma demanded, sliding fearfully past his mother and Lanfear to push Rune to the ground and tackle his two younger siblings. "I thought they were on our side!"

Before he could utter another word, Vera leapt forward and slammed a fist into his lower ribs, depriving him of both his balance and ability to breathe. Len casually pulled his arms behind him and pushed him to his knees, glancing towards Mieren and Lanfear with an almost bemused expression.

"What should I do with him, Mother?"

"Kill him," Lanfear said offhandedly, casually forming a thick shield around herself, Mieren and the two children who were easily holding their older brother in check before anyone had a chance to interfere. "He is of no use to me." Her eyes narrowed in amusement as the others beat uselessly at the gently rolling wall of fog encircling them. Vera grabbed a fistful of hair and jerked his head back, claws lengthening instantly.

"No, wait," Mieren interrupted just as Vera's claws had punctured the exposed flesh of Touma's throat. "If I had wanted him dead, I'd have aborted him the moment I knew I was pregnant after Rowen raped me." She paused to smirk at the horrified expression on her son's face. They had never told him how he had been conceived in such violence. "He could be useful to us. He is, after all, the only light soul of our immediate bloodline, sister. The fault, I believe, of his human father," she said, twisting the words as though they tasted foul.

"Too true," Lanfear laughed. "But this leaves us with an extra! We only needed fifteen."

"And we'll only have fifteen," Mieren countered, equally amused. "The true focal after the two channels must possess a soul neither of the light nor the dark. Touma is too light to be the focal and all of the rest are far too dark. With the ten elements and two magical branches, it is not important. Nor is it with the channels. But the focal is different."

"And again, as with your toying with that idiot Talpa, you have a point," Lanfear murmured. "But which of them should we use? Menderren and Touline would both be acceptable, as far as strength is concerned. Follouya would be useable as well."

"Follouya and Touline are girls!" Mieren protested. "That can't possibly work! If you haven't noticed, our target is male."

"Too true," Lanfear conceded. "Then it will have to be Menderren." Her eyes flashed to crimson for a moment, an answering flash of lightning cracking into a tree just beyond where she stood. Out of the smoldering remains stepped a tall man appearing to be in his mid to late twenties, long black hair framing a pale face with sharp cheekbones and stunning jade eyes.

"Oh, he's one for originality," Vera scoffed, fingering her dark blue hair happily and throwing her brother's platinum locks a knowing look.

"Is that him?" Menderren asked, businesslike. He nodded almost to himself after studying Touma thoroughly. "Controlling his mind should be a simple matter. The only problem will be ensuring that some of his soul survives once we fuse." Touma jerked at his bonds frantically, throwing a pleading look towards his mother.

"Mother, please," he breathed painfully around his brutally arched neck. His eyes began to water with the effort of rolling them at such an extreme angle to see his mother. "Why are you doing this?" Mieren smiled coldly, lifelessly.

"I'm sure you've heard the story of how I tried to separate myself from the darkness that my creators had instilled in me at my creation, yes?" she asked, barely waiting for him to blink in acknowledgement since he was unable to nod. "I believe I forgot to mention one thing." Again she paused, delighting in the pained look in Touma's eyes as Len twisted his arms just a little higher behind his back. "I failed. We are still very much linked, and I am still very much a creature of the darkness." She glanced over her shoulder, remembering that her husband for over thirty years was standing just behind her. "Yes, love?" she asked sweetly, laughter bubbling out of her when she saw he was in tears.

"I th-thought that... How c-c-could you..." he stammered, nearing a nervous breakdown. "I loved you, Mieren! How could you do this to us? To me?"

Mieren entered again into laughter, almost unable to speak. "You... _loved_... me?" she gasped. "And you expected what exactly in return? How could I ever love a mortal? I bedded with you because you were the strongest man I could find. It never mattered to me that it had been you. It could have been any of you! It made no difference to me. You were not my first," she scoffed. "You weren't even my thousandth. You were simply the first one to manage to get me pregnant. Pity our first child was so weak. I knew he would be. The only reason I didn't kill him is because I thought he might be useful. And so he shall be." She glanced at Touma again, who still fought desperately against Len, frantic to get away from Menderren, who was still inspecting him in an amused fashion. "It was a pity I had to kill you to make you stronger. The risks involved there were unavoidable, though. I couldn't have you or your friends turning against me until you had fulfilled your usefulness as a sperm donor."

"A pity that you let him live after I tried so hard to kill him, Grandmother," Cye snapped, reappearing suddenly inside Lanfear's barrier and approaching them furiously. "After Zairian's warning so long ago, I was hoping to take him out before you could sire any more of your hell-spawned children. A pity that I didn't remember enough of what I had been told to remember why I was to try again."

Mieren glanced at him scathingly. "So you've known for that long, have you? How long did it take you to remember after your death thirteen years ago?"

"Too long," he snapped. "I'd not have remembered even now had Zairian not jogged my memory. Tell me, Grandmother. Did you not think that I wouldn't realize that you tried to kill me as I laid half-dead in your arms? Did you think that I would ever be so easy to get rid of?" He spun where he stood, throwing a small blast of energy towards Menderren to knock him away from Touma. "Damn you! Leave my father alone!"

"You are interfering with the inevitable, boy," Lanfear scoffed. "How long do you think you can hold out before you're killed again? This time, we'll make sure you're raised into the dark arts."

Cye stiffened, the remark causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. If he died like he had thirteen years ago, they would ensure that he was kept in the blackness for eternity. He glanced towards Vera, Len and Menderren where they were still holding Touma immobile. He would be hard pressed to take on one of them, let alone three. If the other twelve were to arrive, it would be over in seconds.

"You should leave, child," Mieren said lightly when she saw the uncertainty in his eyes. He knew he couldn't win. "This doesn't concern you. You should be thankful that you were spared."

"Cye, run," Touma managed to grate out, a trickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth from the strain of speaking. "Take the others and go."

Cye raised his head slowly to meet his grandmother's gaze. Around him, he could see the youko slowly gathering into an enormous triangle extending into the trees, Rune at the point. Anubis had joined him hesitantly, the staff of the Ancients clenched tightly in his trembling hands. What nearly broke his remaining sanity was the sight of his grandfather and younger brother, both tearing blindly at the barrier of fog, oblivious to their exhaustion and shredded arms.

Steeling himself, he sprung towards Lanfear, no longer unwilling to risk himself no matter what the consequences. She sidestepped him easily, laughing at his efforts when he lobbed another shot at Menderren and changed his advance to target Len. Vera stopped his efforts prematurely, a bolt of lightning coming within inches of hitting his lithe form. He continued blindly, throwing bolts of energy towards everyone in the dome of fog regardless of what they were doing. Menderren dodged easily, even swatting a few back at him in amusement. Len and Vera merely evaded his blasts, more concerned with holding Touma immobile than with what he was doing. Mieren and Lanfear simply ignored him, sidestepping the slashes of energy that came too close to them.

Cye was prepared for the retaliation before it came, allowing himself to be slammed forcibly into the mists to create a further distraction as the youko finally initiated their attack. A virtual tsunami of fog rebounded across the barrier at Rune's command, causing the steady weave to ripple and partially unravel in the following shock wave. Shin, and surprisingly Ryoko, managed to push through the barrier, attempting to advance before being violently ejected from the dome by a single blast from Menderren.

Before he could regain his feet, Vera pinned Cye to the ground ferociously, baring her teeth at him menacingly.

"Len, do it," she demanded. He nodded, grinning coldly.

"_Daughter of the dragon, rise to your fate, the everlasting call of eternity's gate. Fall deaf to the cries of voices long dead. You must not heed your past. Stand tall, move ahead. Child of the vampire raised in the light, turn from what you know and come into the night."_

Vera choked on a hoarse cry, the armor orb in her arm falling to the ground, useless. Cye watched in horror as her form slowly shifted to match Len's, matching sets of wings and an eerily long tail appeared behind her almost instantly. She only staggered slightly as her legs rejointed themselves, quickly adjusting to her new balance and compensating to keep him pinned. He looked away from her blunt muzzle, eyes locking onto his struggling father, who was now being held by a relentless Menderren, Len having retreated a few paces to nurse his wounded face. Harsh tears burned in Cye's vision as Menderren seemed to evaporate into nothingness, his disappearance accentuated by Touma's pained cry. Unable to bear the sight, Cye turned his gaze away as Touma convulsed, hair darkening into a fierce black, his once silvery eyes taking on a pale emerald tint.

"Your own brother," Cye spat over his shoulder, eyes still pressed tightly shut. Hot tears escaped his clenched eyelids, burning his chill skin. A flash of anger escaped him and he found the strength to surge to his feet, throwing Vera into Len and charging Lanfear. His fury added to his strength and speed, allowing him to crack one fist through her protruding ribs. He could only watch in shock and dismay as the wound closed before his eyes, the blood covering his forearm vanishing as though it had never been. She threw him a cruel, condescending smile.

"Do you not understand the term 'linked'?" she chuckled. "You cannot kill me."

"So be it," Cye spat, redirecting his fury. His gaze fell on Vera. He had only barely begun to advance before his path was blocked by a muscular figure he had never seen before. His eyes only rested on the sharp cheekbones for a moment before he drew back warily from the crimson-haired, emerald-eyed man.

"Ah, Deterik," Mieren greeted warmly. "I've heard much about you." She laughed loudly when his first blast nearly incinerated Cye, leveling the landscape behind where he had stood to the horizon and beyond. "The psychopath, right?" she asked Lanfear out of the corner of her mouth when she saw that the redhead was completely absorbed in disintegrating Cye. Lanfear nodded ever so slightly.

"Insane or not, that one's powerful," she admitted softly. "If not for the fact that he's completely a creature of the everlasting night, I'd say that he could have served as the pinnacle. He's definitely strong enough."

"Strength isn't everything," Mieren chided, jumping backwards quickly when Cye managed to redirect one of Deterik's blows ever so slightly with his enhanced version of the Exodus spell. "I seem to recall having you pinned in the Mountains of Omnipotence for the better part of three millennia before I decided to set you free."

"You caught me off guard," Lanfear grumped. Her darkened expression lightened immensely when Cye caught one of Deterik's blows fully in an attempt to protect almost a half a dozen of his friends from the deadly blast. Unable to fully withstand the crack of energy, he was thrown through the remnants of the mist shield and into Sage and Kayura, slumping limply across their flattened forms.

"You always were an idiot," Mieren countered. She shook her head ruefully when Cye lurched drunkenly to his feet, wobbling unsteadily as he tried to prepare himself for Deterik's next attack. The next blow, however, did not come from the redhead.

Cye was bounced through the shield of fog yet again, a slender woman of average height standing where he had stood, hands on her hips and silky black hair swirling around her knees. Before he even hit the ground, another blow came from above from a mirror image of the first girl, landing in the small of his back and sending him careening downwards with enough force to cause him to bounce off of the ground. Deterik slid in insolently, cracking his heavy boot into Cye's exposed stomach the moment he bounced from the ground. Mieren shook her head as the second girl punted him out of the air to the first, Cye too injured and delirious to defend himself as they continued thrashing him.

"Thena and Sellene, right?" Mieren asked in an amused tone. "I never could tell them apart. At least my twins are original."

"Very easy to tell which is which," Lanfear objected. "Thena can use the light arts, just as you taught her. Or have you forgotten, my blond sister?" She flipped a lock of Mieren's opal hair into her face.

Conversation was temporarily forgotten as another few figures appeared into the slaughter, Cye's grunts of pain announcing their arrival. The newest arrival sent a burst of flame towards his limp form, which he avoided narrowly. A desperate act allowed him to guide his fall so that he landed on his feet, blood streaming from innumerable lacerations on his pale form. Pushing blood-matted hair out of his face, he shifted wearily into a serpentine form, praying that his added strength would help him survive.

Cye jerked back in shock when a figure topping six and a half feet moved to stand in front of him, the pale face too delicate to resemble any of Lanfear's children. Blood riddled tears crept from his eyes as he moved away from the frosty emerald gaze, flecks of silver accentuating the familiar face. Menderren had not erased the face Cye had known so well since his rebirth. The steely look on what had used to be his father's face was almost too much for him to bear. He drew back, unable to fight. Menderren, however, had no such reservations.

The first punch landed heavily in Cye's ribs, shattering four. Several fragments pierced his lungs. Gasping for air that his lungs were unwilling to accept, he staggered back, too battered to escape the second slash. He could only watch numbly as a blurred fist moved towards his chest again, swerving slightly at the last possible moment to crash through the right side of his chest instead of the left. Even so, the hand through his ribcage missed his heart by inches only. Blood dribbled from the corners of his mouth as he looked up, his gaze focusing on Menderren's other fist just before it landed against is lower jaw. He landed heavily on a patch of cold ground just outside of the rapidly dissipating dome of fog. His vision blurred slightly, his dulled mind barely registering that Rowen was struggling to pull him to his feet. Sage entered his hazy sight, an emerald inferno surrounding him as he struggled to heal wounds that refused to close. Cye only managed to raise his head weakly as Menderren and Deterik advanced on them again. He whimpered in protest when he saw more than a dozen forms behind them, most of them sporting black hair and violently green eyes. Several blasts were readied, spells held in extended palms.

Before the first spell was loosed, a crack of energy crashed into the group from the side in the form of a great serpent of fog. Clusters of twenty-foot tall youko gathered to the side with Rune, and surprisingly Anubis, standing at the point, the latter looking extremely nervous and doubtful. The twins immediately rounded on them, a silvery haired man following their lead more slowly, his pale sea green eyes narrowed in irritation. The irked look was shocking when compared to the expression of blatant loathing the black-haired, black-eyed twins were wearing.

Anubis swallowed roughly and threw an imploring look towards his brother, who nodded impatiently, pointed ears and a long reddish foxtail appearing as he said something under his breath. Ducking his head at the obvious reprimand, Anubis turned back to the three approaching warriors, his eyes flaring with an unearthly copper light as he concentrated. The silver-haired man paused, his already pale skin lightening further. The twins, however, did not see the danger in time.

A lurid blast of copper light erupted at their feet, answering sparks of coppery power radiating from the massing youko. Anubis's fingers twitched again, the rapidly culminating power of the enormous beasts behind him exploding again from within the ranks of Lanfear's children. His third shot was blocked prematurely by a woman in her mid-thirties, deep forest green hair flaring around her waist as she spun to face him, her fiercely golden eyes boring into his own glowing copper.

Energies whipped higher around each of them as they stared at each other in pure concentration, each straining to gain the upper hand. Though no movement was discernable from either of them, the battle they fought was deadlier than if they held swords at one another's throats. Shock waves began emanating from the pair as the seconds ticked on in utter silence, all other confrontations forgotten as they watched the upcoming explosion. The ground beneath Anubis rippled and sank, pulling away from the sheer power of his mind, small sections of stone rising into the whipping airs around him. The following ripple of energy leveled the ground around him for over two hundred feet in every direction, throwing both friends and trembling youko away from him when they were unable to block the raging power still building. Mouri barely caught Mana before she was thrown into a partially incinerated tree.

"And _this_ is the reason why I don't like youko," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the groaning of the earth. Mana nodded silently.

"Very nice of you, elf, considering that he's protecting you at the moment," Rune snapped, appearing in front of them suddenly to attempt to lessen the blasts of energy that radiated from the warring pair every few seconds. His grin returned suddenly when a second tail appeared behind Anubis, promptly followed by a third. Several youko whooped in support, their howls of delight increasing in volume when fourth and fifth tails materialized out of thin air.

"So how high can he go?" Mouri asked, sounding as though he didn't really want an answer.

"I don't know," Rune admitted. "I can manage seven, but he's a lot stronger than me, even now at five." He stiffened suddenly, eyes wild. "Oh light, brother. No."

Mouri and Mana looked up, though only the former seemed to have any idea of what was worrying the redheaded youko. Anubis still held his ground, though his face was taking on a decidedly inhuman quality, the beginnings of a muzzle stretching across his hollowed cheeks. His skin darkened as telltale signs of fur appeared on his exposed flesh, ripples passing though the thin reddish fur as muscles began building along his normally slender frame. All of the gathered youko had long since gone silent, their eyes fixed firmly on his trembling frame as he continued to shift into another form. Rune shook his head roughly in denial.

"Damn it, Anubis! Don't shift forms," Mouri shouted, ignoring Rune's angry hiss at his side.

"Be quiet," Rune spat. "He mustn't be distracted!"

"You want him to power up?" Mouri asked incredulously.

"Of course not," Rune snapped, his voice lowering before he continued. "He's just not used to this and it's… it's hurting him. In the larger form, youko are all but indestructible, but it takes energy and it weakens us greatly. He's only trying to protect himself. He doesn't know," he said defensively.

Anubis, however, heard them both quite clearly, his unsteady transformation ceasing abruptly. The sudden boost in his power nearly toppled the green-haired woman, her knees buckling. Her loss in dominance of the battle did not cause her to break her eye contact with Anubis. Undaunted, she leaned forward slightly, flashing her ample cleavage in a tantalizing manner. Despite the severity of the situation, Anubis reddened. His slight distraction lowered his defenses to the surrounding warriors. A glint of silver flashed through his peripheral vision followed immediately by his pained cry, a slender dagger embedded to its hilt in his thigh. Choking on a curse, he glanced jerkily towards Len, whose arm was still stretched forward from the viciousness of his throw.

The loss of eye contact resulted in an immediate and unfathomable explosion, throwing Anubis backwards into Mouri and Rune. Ear piercing shrieks rang through the air as Anubis convulsed, every muscle in his body tightening viciously and pulling him into an unnatural position that threatened to break his back.

Trying to protect his brother, Rune leapt to his feet and attempted to form a rough shield around the green-haired woman. His efforts were ended prematurely as he was simultaneously tackled by Menderren and Vera. The silver-haired man moved to stand in the path of the nearly rampaging youko, dropping into the form of a white dragon almost instantly. His silver mane and sea green eyes seemed out of place among his brothers and sisters as they assumed their alternate forms, plaguing the ruined landscape with sinuous black forms. Only the green-haired woman held her form, Len circling her protectively as she continued to use her willpower to control Anubis. A greedy smile appeared on her face suddenly and she called out to Lanfear, never breaking eye contact with her victim.

"Must I kill him, Mother?" she purred. "Or can I keep this one?"

"Just kill him, Follouya," Lanfear growled, glancing at Mieren. "According to my dear sister, he's dangerous."

Mieren averted her gaze, a blank expression held forcefully on her face, broken only by the slightly hardened look to her eyes. Before her was a scene from a nightmare, dying and dead youko littering the charred earth as the silver-maned white dragon wreaked havoc on the advancing forces. No one had ever been able to stand up to Cehir. Divided, their powers were useless, and without Anubis, they were unable to pool their unfathomable energies to any extent. The rough triangles of power they managed to form further mauled the landscape, but they were doing no notable damage to their single opponent. Rune lay motionless on the ground, huge rents covering his bloody form. Mouri fought frantically against Menderren and Vera, his movements growing slower and clumsier as the seconds ticked on. Great spouts of water crashed into the two dragons opposing him, their inability to block that particular element the only reason that the elfin sorcerer was still alive.

Mia and Mana stood all but frozen behind Ryo and Rowen, the latter still trying to revive Cye. An enormous black-maned blood red dragon with hollow black eyes circled them tauntingly, occasional slashes of shadows racing towards them only to be diverted at the last moment by a desperate effort by Ryo or Mana. Rowen only glanced up occasionally to check on Shin before returning his attention to Cye, his devastated mind only registering the wellbeing of his two grandsons, the only family he had left. The only attacks he blocked were the ones aimed directly at himself and Cye, Deterik's powers of darkness dissolving under Rowen's matching energies, grief augmenting his strength.

A ring of the three children had formed to combat the twins, Sellene and Thena, and another female that Mieren instantly identified as Yersenia by her fighting style. Shin raged in and out of the chaotic tangle as he repelled the magical attacks of the twins, occasionally tackling one of them or launching his own elemental and magical attacks to keep them off guard. Katari called blasts of lightening from the clear sky, disappearing into thin air every few seconds as she activated the power of the armor orb in her arm. Her illusions were completely impenetrable to the three she was plaguing, her near lethal attacks quickly drawing the illusionist, Koxanama, to the battle. Barely able to keep up with his illusions, even with the help of her armor and deep innate abilities, Katari quickly found herself being drawn away from the battle with the three dragons already present. She had no experience and didn't doubt that her opponent was fully trained where she was not. Ryoko was unable to cover for her absence, both her and her armor's powers fully absorbed in defending against Yersenia's poisonous attacks. Alone in the battle, Shin found himself rapidly losing ground to the twins.

Sage and Gau were losing ground rapidly to the oldest and most dangerous of Lanfear's children, Touline. Their combined power of light was nothing compared to her mastery of the element, only their rapid attacks and desperate defenses protecting them.

Kayura, Ritsuko and Ella had clustered together for protection, their combined powers of spirit rivaling that of their single opponent, Nengitis. Mieren watched their increasingly bloodthirsty battle, knowing the boy's powers after having trained him for so many years. She was amazed that the three relatively untrained women were holding their own for so long.

Major earthquakes erupted constantly from where Kento and Akira fought side by side, their twinned powers almost holding Detowin at bay. With their abilities to shift unerringly into elementals, the former being an elemental and the latter using his armor constantly, they looked as if they could almost hold their own. Only a few paces from them, Nasuti and Cognite appeared to have abandoned all pretense of roasting one another and had engaged in a free-for-all wrestling match. Nasuti didn't seem to be averse to head-butting either.

Kenji and the three standing Warlords had formed a loose circle, batting wildly at the single dragon circling them. Picen seemed unconcerned by their efforts, using his abilities with water freely knowing that they would be hard pressed to block the elemental attack out of their categories of power. A flash of energy engulfed Kenji suddenly as he summoned a suit of armor and returned fire with several projectiles of pure shadow, their strength enforced by Cale's presence. Dais joined in promptly, her illusions nearly causing Picen to crash into the ground several times. Blinded by the illusions, he almost took several hits as well. Sehkmet only watched them for a moment before sneaking off and joining Ryoko in her struggle against Yersenia's vicious assault. Lanfear shook her head wearily.

"Would you guys quit screwing around and kill them?" she snapped. "They've driven me insane for way too long and I want them gone. Now."

Instantly, all thirteen of her children swerved suddenly towards their struggling opponents, spells and elemental snares held ready as they went for the final blows as instructed. Vera drew back to stand beside Len, her face hardening in disbelief as she studied the slash across his left eye that had yet to heal. Mieren glanced at them absently, knowing the futility of trying to heal a wound given by a youko-crafted weapon. Their infiltration of both the Starlight Clan and Clan of the Midnight Shadows, not to mention the Tower of the Guardians, had yielded them limitless information from which they had devised a few of their more dangerous aspects. Most, if not all, of their fighting techniques were either difficult or impossible to block and most of the resulting injuries could not be healed by any magical means. The natural recovery of the body could partially compensate for the damages, but not completely. She knew without checking that Len would never regain the use of his eye.

Looking up to the thirteen circling dragons above her, she exhaled sharply, eyes trailing downwards to an impossible scenario. Cye had regained consciousness and had summoned a sinuous shield that wove its way around the battlefield to protect every one of his friends and a good number of the surviving youko. Though many blows were issued from each side, no one could crack through the energy barrier he had constructed. Leaving behind the safety of his silvery turquoise shield, he leapt into the air after thirteen nimble targets, none of which he managed to near before a blast of liquid obsidian struck him from the sky. Rebounding to his feet, he summoned black tinged wings and took to the air once more, nimbly evading blasts and retaliating occasionally. Mieren could only wonder why he refused to assume the complete combative form of a true dragon.

"How can he possibly still be alive?" Lanfear muttered, her eyes trailing across Vera and Len in a calculating fashion. "You two can already assume the outlander form. Tell me, can either of the descendants of Mouri do the same?" Len squinted up at the aerial battle for a moment, absently wiping the steady flow of blood off of his cheek.

"No," he answered softly. "He's too weak to do that."

In response to his comment, a teal bolt of energy crashed into him from above, dissolving one of his four taught wings. When he choked in shock, Vera retaliated for him, her own jet black powers racing towards the heavens. Snarling at Cye's impossible ability to dodge more than a dozen attacks at once, she spread both of her sets of wings and prepared to plow into him physically. She jerked slightly and furled her wings, jaw drooping slightly when she caught a better glimpse of the slaughter above her.

Distracting Cye with a blast of fire, one of the few elements he had trouble blocking, Cognite managed to snag one of his wings and hurl him unceremoniously towards the twins. Sellene and Thena locked spells, allowing white and black magical energies to flow into one as Cye collided with their weave. The explosion resulting from the mixture of the opposite powers nearly threw their siblings from the air as well, though when the aftershocks cleared, only Cye was seen to have toppled from the sky, smoke trailing from his charred form. The silver-maned white dragon, who Mieren finally remembered as Cehir, the second oldest of the group though he had yet to be born, snagged Cye's foot just before he reached the ground and slung him back into the air.

Touline knocked him out of the sky again immediately, Detowin forming a patch of stone spikes on the ground below as Cye once again sped towards the earth. He managed to unfurl his wings at the last moment and pull up, his stomach almost grazing the deadly skewers. Shaking profusely and visibly falling into exhaustion, he was unable to evade Menderren's bone-rattling punch to his sternum. The further destruction of his ribcage left him unbalanced and unguarded for a vital instant.

Having been waiting for the opportunity, Deterik had assumed a position directly behind him, youko-pilfered sword in hand. All of the air left Cye's lungs in a sudden rush along with a faint dribble of blood. His crimson stained tongue flicked across his lips and his throat convulsed as he tried unsuccessfully to swallow. Several thin streamers of blood moved slowly down his chin as his head drooped, eyes glazing over completely. Trembling hands reached upwards to rest weakly on the rune covered sword protruding from his upper chest, well over three feet of the crimsoned steel extending just to the left of his sternum, a jeweled hilt pressed tightly against his back. His mouth worked weakly as he tried to force his lungs to work, his efforts only expelling more blood from his slack jaw. Several moments passed in silence as his knees gave way and he slumped to the ground, the sword through his chest quivering slightly as he landed heavily on his side.

Sneering contemptuously, Deterik called a spear of shadows to his hand to deliver a final blow. Time seemed to stop as the obsidian point neared Cye's exposed temple, the blow forced to the side at the last instant by a blast of silver. Shocked at the interference, Deterik spun to face his new opponent, a barreling projectile crashing into him before he could identify the threat. The world spun around him suddenly as pale wiry hands wrapped around his throat and clamped down with bone-crushing force. Emerald eyes too clouded with pain to make out his attacker, he could only swat blindly at the muscular figure pinning him, scoring a vicious slash across the prominent cheekbone his claws encountered.

He was freed as suddenly as he had been thrown down, Follouya and Cognite barreling into his assailant. Bleary eyes came into focus slowly, opening wider in shock as he made out the writhing form beneath the growing pile of siblings. His face contorted into a snarl as he recognized his treacherous snowy-haired aunt.

Mieren surged to her feet, leaping into the air to gain some distance between herself and the furious figures beneath her. Only Follouya, Cognite and Deterik remained on the ground, all of them too stiff to follow her just yet. In their shock and confusion, she had managed to issue a few vicious hits before they came around enough to block her spells. The gaping wounds down her sides and across her stomach were quickly closing as she leaned heavily on her link with Lanfear, her double staggering slightly as the energy she called for drained them both. Len and Vera ran to her side, speaking so softly that Mieren couldn't make out what they were saying, but she felt that she wouldn't have liked it if she knew. Like their father, their minds were exceptionally sharp and therefore dangerous.

A slight change in the air currents behind her alerted her to the nearing forms of what she believed to be Sellene and Thena, the twins always having been too fast for her liking. Angling her wings sharply, she shifted into a tight loop, crashing down onto an exposed back. She winced when she made out the harsh sapphire mane on the black form, silver eyes glaring back at her furiously. He arched his head back suddenly to catch her with his horns, one succeeding in impaling her left wrist. She blinked, face contorting in confusion when she saw the four horns, a feature she had never thought to see on her kin, decorating his heavily ridged head.

Mieren dropped her hold on his back and returned to the air, ignoring the burning in her arm as her hand was nearly torn off. The pressure she was putting on her link to heal herself had long since caused Lanfear to slump to the ground in exhaustion near the ten-year-old twins. She would have liked to rest as well, but knew that she didn't have that luxury. The ten airborne forms struggling to pin her to the ground prevented even the momentary pause she so desperately needed to gather her thoughts and form a counterattack. She spat a string of curses when she found Follouya and Cognite preparing to take to the air as well. What worried her, though, was that Deterik was nowhere to be seen. With what little she knew about how his mind worked, she didn't like the prospect of him being out of her sight.

Exhaling sharply to rid the air from her lungs, Mieren arched her back at an impossible angle to send her spinning through the air in almost the exact direction she had just come from. Blasts of every element shot past her fully extended form as she barreled through the serpentine forms around her, several punching holes in her wings and many more grazing her with just enough force to leave behind deep lacerations. Curling her clawed hands into fists, she angled again, one fist creating a resounding crack as it landed sharply in Picen's jaw. Disoriented from his broken jaw, he spiraled from the sky to rebound off of Cye's standing barrier and land limply on the ground below.

Her eyes followed him for a moment only, skipping off of his careening form when she suddenly relocated Deterik standing beside Lanfear. His soft chatting with Len and Vera was unnerving enough without his calculating glance at her as she narrowly evaded a burst of flames from her right. Mieren sucked in a sharp breath between clenched teeth as a shock of pain radiated outwards from her bones, her entire body burning from within. Deterik glanced upwards again, a maniacal look covering his tanned face.

Realization of what he was doing hit her along with the next burst of pain, several of the deeper lacerations across her arms and wings beginning to bleed profusely. She dropped from the air and dove towards where the redhead labored beside Len and Vera, her claws extending viciously as she neared her newest targets. She was pulled away as each of the twins grabbed one of her wings from above and stopped her descent suddenly. Agony raced through her veins as Deterik raised a slender black cord of solidified aura connecting her to Lanfear. Flecks of silver and white appeared on the end closest to her. Oblivious to her thrashing, she was unable to free herself from the twins, who seemed content to hold her in place. Len and Vera combined their energies almost leisurely to slice through the gently pulsing aura. A shriek issued unbidden from her throat as a ripping, incinerating agony enveloped her. Blackness swept across her vision, coming close to taking her consciousness. Her muscles went limp and she slumped into the tearing grasp of the sinuous forms above her. She sensed, more than saw or heard, that Lanfear had lost consciousness and collapsed into Deterik's waiting arms.

The world returned to her eyes suddenly as she crashed into the earth, sinking into the shifting soil. Huffing wearily, she surged upwards and lifted into the air, slamming forcefully into the ground once again as a greenish gold serpent sporting a golden mane swatted away her attempts at flight. She could only look blankly up at Follouya, her mind spinning too quickly for her to understand that she needed to defend herself against her kin. Almost unable to keep her footing unopposed, she collapsed again to the ground as Detowin called upon the earth beneath her to launch a barrage of slender barbed projectiles at her swaying form. The force of the blows threw her several paces, the first true pain she had ever felt nearly stealing her consciousness from her once more.

Mortally injured and highly delirious, Mieren could only lurch strangely to the side as Yersenia and Nengitis approached. She waited until the two similar, almost identical, visages were less than a pace from her before launching herself forward in a final attack. Black flames consumed her right arm and white her left, the two opposing powers fading together and meeting in swirling silvery inferno that engulfed her trembling body. Reality trembled and jerked in denial of the powers she unleashed in her first blow, the siblings dropping into defensive crouches as the wave of energy rolled over them and past the other from where they still advanced. Continuing with the vicious maneuvers she had taught the twins, Sellene and Thena, she slipped past the two stunned dragons and deliberately cracked her fists together as they made contact with Koxanama. The illusionist withdrew, collapsing to the ground when he discovered that he was unable to remain on his feet.

Knowing that she only had a few seconds left to continue on her rampage, Mieren swerved unerringly towards where Lanfear remained unconscious beside Vera and Len, the latter snarling viciously at her approach. Fully aware of the consequences of her following actions, she brought her fists together and allowed the explosion to roll across her unprotected form even as it threw her children away from her target. She slammed her fist through her double's chest, lips peeling away from her teeth in a feral snarl.

"If I'm no longer immortal," she hissed, "then neither are you." Wrenching her tearing fingers in a brutal arc, she yelled out to the extent her shredded lungs would allow. "Kill one of the fifteen! It matters not which! If one falls, they cannot continue!"

Her words died in her throat as Deterik reached her from behind. The world rushed up to meet her face, a heavily weighted foot placing itself between her shoulder blades. Burning hands grasped the chill flesh of her wings and pulled mightily, thick blood raining down on her from above. Agony ripped through her as a wet, tearing noise filled the air, followed by an ease in the pressure pulling on her left side. Numerous ripping sensations tore across the fabric of her remaining wing, causing large puddles of blood to accumulate on the ground beside her. Even as blackness rushed to meet her eyes, she moved in a last act of defiance, carefully slitting the edge of the standing shield Cye had summoned to protect his friends. She saw the warriors leap madly from their captivity and then knew no more.

---

To Be Continued…


	9. Chapter 9

Outlands

Part 9

By Mieren

---

Nose plastered to the shimmering turquoise shield, Kenji nearly collapsed in bitter defeat when he saw Cye slump bonelessly to the ground, impaled on a finely crafted youko sword. At the sound of renewed battle immediately afterwards, he looked up to an impossible scene, Mieren straddling Deterik with her hands wrapped around his neck in sheer fury, magic and the elements forgotten. He turned to his friends even as Cognite and Follouya tackled her.

"Get ready," he called sharply under his breath. "Once this shield comes down, we're going to have to move fast."

Following his own advice, he summoned his armor, dark blue, nearly black, metal encasing his trembling form. Past his hard gaze and clenched jaw, the others could see he was terrified. They followed his gaze to the sky, where Mieren swerved expertly in and out of her opponents, landing almost as many hits on them as they did on her. Kenji leapt back several feet when Picen ricocheted off of the barrier just beyond where he stood, collapsing to the ground. He struggled to rise, almost managing it several times before giving up and laying still.

Both Kenji and Mouri went rigid when Mieren's shriek rang through the air, both of them recognizing the source of her pain instantly. Deterik watched her careen from the air with glee, laughing uproariously as she bounced once and tried to regain her place in the air. Follouya ended any such attempts, immediately batting her to the ground once more. Involuntary flinches circulated the group as innumerable stone darts blew effortlessly through her. Still refusing to fall, Mieren raged forward again, black and white flames rising around her arms, fading together to consume her body in a silvery pyre. Several of the dragons in her path swerved out of the way, Koxanama collapsing when he failed to move quickly enough.

"My God," Ritsuko breathed. "That's impossible." Kenji shook his head slowly.

"I designed her. I assure you, she's capable of much more," he said in a flat tone. "They all are." He closed his eyes as if in pain. "This is my fault. I should never have designed her. I should never have created anything that powerful."

"Light," Mouri stammered, momentarily stunning the man from his guilt trip. Still too much in shock to speak, the rest of the group clustered around him to see what he was looking at. Shocked gazes showed Mieren in the process of ripping Lanfear's heart out, Vera and Len sprawled several paces from her, nearly unconscious.

"Kill one of the fifteen! It matters not which! If one falls, they cannot continue!" Mieren roared suddenly, catching them by surprise. They could only watch helplessly as she was thrown to the ground, Deterik planting one clawed foot in her back as he proceeded to rip out her wings in anger. Even as the left wing came loose under his crushing fingers, his right hand lost its grip, shredding her right wing instead of removing it as he had planned. Trembling and covered in blood, Mieren spared them one last glance, the shield around them vanishing as she went limp under Deterik's continued attack on her prone form.

For a single moment, it appeared as though they were winning. Stunned at the appearance of the warriors they had believed to be trapped, the eleven conscious dragons scattered, the forms of their two fallen siblings, two cousins and their mother draped across their shoulders, slowing them immensely. Elemental blasts rose from every direction, hitting both sides. Youko clustered instantly once freed, darts of mist lancing through the air towards the dark forms circling above.

Unnoticed for several seconds in the frenzy, the towering column of mist began to dissolve from within. Ripples of blackness wormed their way through the milky swirls, spreading outwards at an alarming pace. Deterik roared loudly, drawing attention to the dissipating portal and the cause of its disappearance. Still lying where she had fallen, Mieren had stretched one trembling hand towards the column, flames of black, white and every imaginable shade of gray swirling around her bloodied fingers.

"It closes!" Touline snapped furiously. "Go! We will deal with them later!"

Lacking the time to finish the battle, nine sinuous forms vanished into the obsidian-streaked mists. As a final insult, Deterik swooped viciously to the side just before entering the portal and clasped Cye in his talons, disappearing into the whiteness after his siblings. Almost as if it sensed their absence, the column fluctuated and vanished, leaving behind a perfect circle of charred earth.

---

"I still don't see why he insists on carrying that _thing_ with him," Kento snarled.

Ritsuko didn't have the heart to silence him. She glanced in the direction he was glaring, her teary eyes making out matted blue hair and slumping shoulders. Rowen seemed oblivious to their gazes as he stumbled lifelessly forwards, Shin shadowing his every step as though afraid he would collapse at any moment. In his trembling arms lay an unmoving form covered in blood, the streaking crimson the only color on the ashen skin. In the four hours they had been moving, Mieren had not stirred once since collapsing along with the pillar of mist. Other than Rowen, who had yet to utter a single word, no one knew whether or not she was still alive.

Mana had collapsed into Sage's arms in tears, seeking comfort in the arms of the first person that had approached her after the chaotic battle. Sensing that she was in no condition to walk, Sage had simply lifted her into his arms and had carried her ever since. Kayura followed him absently, tears streaming unending from her eyes whenever she made the mistake of looking too closely at the others. The wounds they sported refused to be healed, impervious to any efforts as surely as if they had been inflicted by a youko-crafted weapon.

Mouri, who had gotten off relatively easy, sported two identical parallel slashes across his face, running from his forehead to his left jaw. The vicious blow had missed his eye, though barely, his eyelid nicked in several places. Blood ran unending down his face, blinding his left eye as surely as the talons on his opponent would have. Despite his efforts, he could not seem to remember how or when he had received the blow.

Akira had fared much worse. Though he showed only a single wound for his wild fighting tactics, it was one that could slowly kill him. Midway down his left forearm, his arm ended abruptly, lost to the sheering teeth of a massive jaw he had been struggling to keep from his skull. His armor, though impenetrable to any imaginable means, had torn away as easily as the flesh beneath when exposed to Detowin's crushing teeth. Only Ella's support held him upright now, the continual blood flow slowly eating away at both his mind and body. Despite his strength, he could not regenerate the vital fluid as quickly as he lost it. The tourniquet slowed his life from seeping away as quickly, but in his eyes he knew that death approached. In a final act of desperation, he called his armor, glazed eyes following the flowing metals as the curved across his severed arm and created an unusual bandage of sorts, stilling his blood loss for the moment.

Almost everyone in the group bore at least one broken bone or dislocation, slings and crude splints commonplace as they struggled to keep moving. Almost all of Gau's ribs had been broken by a punch he hadn't even seen coming. His rasping breathing spoke poorly of how his lungs had fared under the shattered bones. Ryoko still carried her feathery wings behind her, unable to shift fully back with her right wing dislocated and broken in several places. She had managed to push the bone back into socket, but the breaks remained, leaving her cradling her damaged wing in her arms. Ryo fared worse than either of them, his left arm broken in at least five places from a crude tackle from Cognite that had all but removed him from the battle. The swelling across the left side of his chest indicated that his collarbone had been either broken or separated, neither of which speaking well for his chances of moving his arm anytime in the near future.

"Tell me again why we're here?" Ryo said numbly, glancing at the dimension he had hoped never again to see after his experiences there well over twenty years ago. "Why can't we just teleport like we did the first time?"

"For the last time, we need to get to the armory," Mouri answered in a defeated tone. "If the ancient artifacts are still hidden in the back rooms, we may be able to use them to our advantage. And we can't teleport because I don't want the Eternity Bound to find us when they get back from the outlands." At the term he had used for Lanfear's children, many of the youko flinched and whimpered, knowing exactly what the escape of the fifteen dragons would mean.

"What does it matter if they know or not?" Cale spat, throwing a murderous look in Mieren's direction. "We're taking one of them with us to the armory anyway." Rowen neither looked up nor responded to the accusation aimed at the chill form in his arms, as effectively dead to the world as Mieren was.

"You should be blaming me for all of this," Kenji whispered, his voice clearly heard in the silence. "I designed every aspect of her. I created her."

"You couldn't have known," Anubis began, only to be cut off abruptly.

"I knew perfectly well what I was doing!" Kenji cried out, eyes wild. "Don't you understand? I knew what would happen! I didn't care!"

"You made a mistake," Mouri murmured, surprising everyone by defending his ancient rival. "You have been trying to atone for you actions ever since. You couldn't have known that it would go this far." Several nods of agreement could be seen.

Silence suddenly cut through the air as a half-strangled voice spoke softly.

"You're quick to forgive him," Rowen said in a flat tone, looking up for the first time in four hours. After seeing the deadened look in his eyes, many glanced away, wishing he had not raised his gaze. "After three thousand years, only now does he realize his mistake. Only now, after its too late, does he struggle to right his wrongs." His dull eyes filled with tears as he spoke, his grip tightening convulsively on the clammy form draped across his arms. "He knew then what he was doing, and did it still with no regard for the consequences of his actions. He _knew_ what she was capable of. Mieren knew nothing of what would result of her attempts to reach the outlands, and still she fought back once she realized what she had done. Kenji wasn't even born into the darkness without hopes of salvaging his soul. Mieren was, and still she came back to the light. If I'm correct in understanding where Lanfear and her spawn have disappeared to, she came back to fight beside us even knowing that she would die. Mieren could have been a god! And still she came back!"

Silence was absolute after Rowen turned away from them, finished with his tirade and unable to concentrate on his anger any further. After depriving him of all three of his children, one of his grandchildren, and the entirety of his trust, he had forgiven her. Even knowing that she had never truly loved him, had come back out of vindictiveness against the memory of betrayal, he had forgiven her. Rowen knew his undying faithfulness was misplaced on someone who had intentionally caused them all so much pain over the years, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Despite everything, he still loved her.

Shin peered at them one last time past his long, tangled hair before dropping back in the procession to check on his mother again. Mana had looked up for the first time in a long while upon hearing Rowen's outburst. Seeing Shin holding her hand worriedly, she flinched and withdrew her fingers, turning away from him and closing her eyes as they began to water once more. Shin sighed and moved away, knowing that none of his friends would ever be able to look at him again without recoiling in fear. He couldn't blame them either, knowing his striking resemblance to every one of the warriors they had just lost miserably to.

"We should stop and rest for awhile," Sage called out softly. Several nods of agreement could be seen. They were all exhausted and many of them badly wounded and a short break didn't seem too disagreeable or dangerous.

Rowen had barely settled against a tree when he stiffened, a tense look appearing on his already haggard features. Seeing his expression, Shin moved to sit beside him, the only person so far who had yet to flinch at his appearance. He gasped when he saw what had caught Rowen's attention. Awake, though not fully coherent, Mieren was shifting miserably as she tried to regain her feet, blind to the blood streaming from innumerable wounds covering her pale form. After a few wretched attempts to rise, she decided that she could remain where she was.

"Ronins, Warlords," she breathed, her voice creating glowers that were quickly directed at her. Seeming impervious to their glares, she continued. "You should know about the Eternity Bound and yourselves if you are to fight."

"Haven't you done enough damage?" Akira spat, still cradling his arm delicately. "What do you want now? Are you going to teach us how to surrender? Perhaps how to grovel like dogs?" At Rowen's furious scowl, he fell silent, fuming to himself.

"Listen," she grated out, blood dribbling down her chin from the effort of speaking. "There are things you must know that may help you. Len is afraid of the light and Vera cannot swim…"

"You would tell us how to kill your own children?" Ritsuko snarled. Mieren's eyes lit up in fury.

"Damn it! Can you not understand that I'm trying to help you?" she growled, body wracked with uncontrolled muscle spasms. "I only realized how badly I screwed up once Cye paid for my mistakes! I will not let him die when I can save him."

For the first time, Mana looked up from where Sage had set her, her eyes hopeful. "You mean he's still alive?"

"Yes, for the moment," Mieren answered softly. Her sharp visage softened when she realized that someone would finally listen to her. "Now, as I have said, Len is afraid of the light and Vera cannot swim or block any elemental attack involving water. As for the others, know that of the twins, Thena uses light magic, but not properly. I taught her the usage of the light arts before I knew how to properly use them, myself. If you get into a battle of brute strength with her, she's likely to blow herself up."

"What about the one that uses earth?" Akira asked suddenly, eyes filled with hatred as he regarded his severed arm. Mieren blinked at him numbly.

"You should cauterize that so it won't bleed," she mumbled, causing Ryo and Nasuti to jerk guiltily for not having thought of that sooner. "As for Detowin, his main weakness is that he's an idiot." She paused, trying to reclaim her breath, which was growing ragged. "Follouya is a master of life's loyalties, much like Anubis. If she catches you, she can control you body, your mind, and possibly your elemental and magical abilities as well. There is a problem to the technique, though, which is associated with the elemental power itself and cannot be avoided. At all times, eye contact must be held with the target, even if it's something as insignificant as a finger or a lock of hair. If attacked, you need only get out of her view or hope that someone distracts her. Deterik is another story. He's mad and incredibly devious. He's the one who finally figured out how to strike me from the sky with a single blow. Avoid him at all costs." She paused to swallow stiffly. "Koxanama, the illusionist, is a master of his element even beyond the levels of the others. His strength, however, is only viable when he's attacking. He's all but helpless to defend against his own element."

"So he can't take what he dishes out?" Dais murmured to herself. "Interesting."

"What about Cye?" Mana asked, not allowing herself to be sidetracked. Mieren made a face.

"He's in the outlands with the others, I believe." She glanced around, noticing something for the first time. "Where are the great cats?"

"They followed the Eternity Bound," Rune offered. "As did many youko."

"Wonderful," Mieren breathed, relaxing slightly. "Cye has some help after all." Several emotions raged across her face almost too quickly to be identified. Guilt. Vengeance. Hatred. Sorrow. When she finally started speaking again, it was to a silent group. "I tried to kill Lanfear, but I failed. Cehir's existence proves that in itself." She swallowed nervously, her gaze sinking to the ground. "Though Lanfear has thirteen children, she's only been pregnant eleven times. Twins would account for the twelfth of her children, but Cehir has yet to be born. He hasn't even been conceived. I remember the day when he appeared out of nowhere. I knew him for who he was, and watched for the pregnancy that would offer him existence. It has yet to come. All I know of the father is that he's a master of both the light and dark arts, a talent I have yet to find anywhere other than in myself."

"You mean the silver-haired boy?" Kenji asked softly. "He's older than all of the others, except for Touline, isn't he?" He paused thoughtfully. "He didn't seem to be trying as hard as the others to actually kill us."

"Yes, he is the second oldest, but the last born. He is, for the most part, silent and thoughtful. After having trained most of them, I found him to be almost reluctant to fight when compared to the others. He was also trained by a man, a sorcerer versed in both the light and dark arts. He just appeared one day when Cehir was five. That man hated me, never trained him when he thought I was watching. He always avoided me, always kept his face hidden, but I know him to be the boy's father." She took a deep breath and steadied herself for something that she obviously did not want to say. Silence won out and she looked away.

"What about your ongoing war?" Mouri asked, not bothering to elaborate.

"Haven't you figured it out?" Mieren coughed. "It's a game, elf. Call it sibling rivalry if you want. When I first trapped her in the Mountains of Omnipotence, she countered by setting Talpa on me, giving him the information he needed to create the Armor of Chains. Rather than kill him immediately, I tried to use the armors, careful to keep my energy down so neither of them would suspect what I was up to. Unfortunately, I realized that even if he eventually found suitable bearers, I would lack the numbers needed to open a gate to the outlands. I spoke to her and she created havoc so that I could have an excuse to disappear and release her without creating suspicion among you. The vampires thought that I was doing them a favor for their sacrifice to revive Rowen."

"Sacrifice?" Rowen asked slowly. "But none of them died."

"Just the one," Mieren corrected wearily, refusing to look at him. "Unlike the regular demon, you cannot just create a vampire. Like Sage and Kento, you were merged to become what you are. It took you forever to actually interlock souls. I was wondering if you were ever going to manage it."

Rowen's grip on her loosened almost to the point where he dropped her. He recovered quickly and firmed his arms. "But I… I thought that I had…"

"Accidentally shattered your soul?" He nodded. Mieren shook her head. "No, but I wouldn't be surprised if he pretended as much to trick you into finally uniting with him. That one was always devious." She exhaled heavily and glanced around, suddenly seeming to remember that she was in the middle of an explanation that would keep their attention away from a certain fact that she did not want them to know. "Once Lanfear was freed, she proceeded to create a second set of the Armor of Chains, binding you to her and ordering me to summon your ancestors. She believed that she could use a second set of armors to bypass the sphinxes. Later deciding that that was an impossibility, I opposed her. As punishment for that and for leaving her trapped for three millennia, she took my body, using the excuse that she was tired of being trapped within an elemental. My return stroke was to subconsciously inform Cye how to throw her to the astral plane to rot. It was, after all, quite difficult to reform a body from scratch." She paused again, gasping weakly as her lungs threatened to give out. "As soon as she was free, she countered by throwing me to the astral plane along with the rest of you. She wanted me to figure out how to tap into the power of the sphinxes. After that, you know the story."

"Why not just use her children to get past the astral plane?" Kenji asked suddenly. Mieren laughed weakly, renewing the stream of blood running endlessly from her mouth.

"They cannot afford to be weakened before reaching the outlands. Once there, they will break through the elemental seals and gain the powers of the outlanders."

"That's impossible," Terru snarled, limping forward and yanking her from Rowen's grasp. He shook her violently as he spoke. "We sealed the outlands ourselves, just as the outlanders sealed the astral plane. We made sure in ancient times that it was impossible to bypass either seal." Sage cleared his throat softly.

"Perhaps I'm missing something," he muttered, eyes trailing the bristling youko. "But how would they have placed the shield in the first place?" The sudden silence and elusiveness of the foxes only heightened his suspicions.

"Just as the vampires were once outlanders, the youko were once astral planers. The war that originated in the outlands spread through the astral plane, and the youko became involved, choosing the losing side. That is why they play both sides of every war now, making absolutely sure they cannot fall from power again. When the vampires were thrown from the outlands, the youko were similarly banished from the astral plane. As a precautionary measure, they joined powers and sealed both of their dimensions so that those powers would never again intermingle," Mieren responded, locking eyes with the furious youko. She knew perfectly well that they had not appreciated having their origin exposed. Before they could retaliate, she continued with her explanation. "Do you know how I managed to bypass the seal in the astral plane?" When he shook his head, she continued thickly. "I was designed to match the outlanders in every way. The flaw in the seal is simple, youko. I am so strongly a part of the outlands even now, that I was a close enough match to those that sealed the astral plane to undo their work. The inconceivable powers should have killed me, but my link would not allow me to die."

"Then how do you intend to bypass the shield in the outlands?" he snapped. "No youko would ever break that seal."

"They don't have to," Mieren countered, voice trembling with her effort to speak. "Have you forgotten that Lanfear has discovered how to channel the powers of the astral plane? She can bypass the seal on her own without killing herself. Remember, she has only to move the shield enough so that the others can work."

Terru dropped her and closed his eyes wearily, starting away with slumped shoulders. "Then its truly over," he breathed.

"Not necessarily." Every eye locked on Mieren instantly, many narrowed suspiciously.

"What do you mean?" Anubis finally asked, breaking the silence.

"First off," she murmured, "I have something that may help you. Kenji, come here." He obeyed reluctantly, crouching down beside her. "Give me your left hand." When he hesitantly extended the named appendage, she snagged his hand fiercely and slapped her free hand across the back of his wrist. Kenji hissed and jerked his hand back roughly, his jaw working numbly when he saw what she had done.

"But I already… I can't use two," he stammered, fingering the armor orb set in the back of his left wrist. Like the one on his right arm, it had swirled into a dark blue to match his aura. Mieren grinned weakly.

"You can," she assured him, voice cracking. "Your armor will just contain the powers of air now, as well as that of darkness."

"You should have given it to Rowen," he started again, trailing off when she shook her head jerkily.

"No, he does not need it. Even if he wasn't damn near an outlander, making him as unable to carry the armor as Vera was, no one who was in the circle in the astral plane can use the armor orbs anymore. The sphinxes will not allow it."

"What do you mean by 'the sphinxes will not allow it'?" Anubis demanded.

"Just that. If you discover how, you can use their powers of the elements to increase your own strength. Much stronger than the armors, I believe. The only problem is convincing the ancient oracles give their powers over to fight with."

"Great," Sehkmet muttered. "That's all we needed is another set of problems from those damn things. Do you know how to convince them?"

"Not a chance."

"Even better," he spat.

"Don't worry. There are four facts that may still save you," Mieren murmured. She gasped weakly, quivering in Rowen's arms. It took her several seconds to gather herself enough to resume speaking. "First, Cye is still alive and I believe that once he regains consciousness, he will resume his previous rampage. As he is now, I believe that he's a match for some of the weaker outlanders. Second, I never trained any of you. I taught you only how to handle your base powers and then played with your physical forms so that you would likely survive even if you royally screwed up. You are much stronger than you could ever imagine. Stronger far than myself, and I stood up to all of them for several minutes before I finally fell. I never trained you for fear that someday you would turn on me. But believe me when I say that you can match them if you push yourself to your true limits."

"We're doomed," Gau groaned. "We've pushed ourselves as far as we could, and for what? We could never even defeat Lanfear."

"She was invulnerable, you idiot, as was I," Mieren snapped. Her outburst cost her dearly, blood pouring freely from the numerous holes plaguing her lungs. Shuddering, she allowed herself to go limp.

"What was the third reason?" Ritsuko asked, her trembling voice betraying her desperation.

"There is a troublemaker that I believe may make his appearance soon if he's pushed too much further." At the expectant faces, she swallowed thickly against the torn muscles of her throat and continued. "Zairian will not stand for much more. After all, this will not be the first time he's appeared, and never before has he been so provoked."

At this news, every youko had stiffened, nervous looks flickering across their faces. Though desperate for assistance against such unfavorable odds, they were unprepared to accept the help of a true outlander. Their temporary truce to create the wardings had long since ceased to exist. It was no secret that they had hoped to form an alliance with the dragons in hopes to get past the shields in the astral plane so they could return to their homelands. It appeared that they had abandoned that quest the moment that she had betrayed them and returned to Lanfear's side. Now, they appeared content to simply destroy anything that threatened to come into power.

The utter stillness that had arisen at her announcement was shattered when Shin cleared his throat loudly. His sharp visage showed that there was something that the others had forgotten that he clearly had not.

"What was the fourth thing?" he asked stiffly, eyes locked on his grandmother.

Mieren blinked fuzzily up at him, unable to focus her eyes. After a moment she gave up and allowed her blood-filled eyes to slide shut and her breathing to slow. Her lips parted slowly to answer his question, her words rattling in her throat.

"The loyalty of two of Lanfear's children can be questioned. Even I don't know where they stand."

"Which ones?" Kenji asked firmly. Only silence answered him. For a moment he was tempted to ask again, the words dying in his throat when he realized the reason for her silence.

Rowen's gaze slowly shifted to regard the still form in his arms more closely. He reached slowly to push a strand of blood soaked snowy hair out of Mieren's face, eyebrows drawing together when he received no response. Of all the times in the past he had believed her to die, he had never held her body in his arms, had never known for certain as he knew now. For a moment, he was still, blind to the gazes that turned away from him and deaf to the silence that had fallen over the group. Her treachery stung him deeply, but he loved her still. For the same reason he had always returned home to his father's biting words and harsh beatings, he could not leave her, even in death. His friends, especially Ryo and Sage, had always told him that he was far too forgiving of the cruelties inflicted upon him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The logical, analytical portion of his mind had died with his wife and he knew only the pain of his loss.

The only thought to cross Rowen's mind as he rose to his feet was the strangled curiosity of his lack of tears. Even with the unbearable pain tearing at his mind and heart, he could not cry. He was barely conscious to the questioning voices of his friends as he moved away from them and into the woods.

"Where…" Kento trailed off, unable to finish when he glimpsed his friend's face. Mouri managed to pose the question more gracefully than the larger man would have ever been able to manage.

"Will you be able to find the elfin stronghold?" he asked softly. Rowen stared at him numbly for several moments, the elf's words foreign to his ears.

"Don't worry," he murmured, turning away and moving deeper into the trees. "I know where you're going." His next words were spoken so softly they were nearly lost in the tangle of underbrush, the whispered implication almost spurring Sage to follow him. Only Kenji's restraining hand and meaningful look held him back. "Our paths may cross again someday."

---

Lanfear placed each foot forward warily, the absolute darkness beginning to tear at her nerves. The shadows resisted all attempts to create a source of light of any kind, the darkness impervious even to her infrared vision. She could see no more than ten feet from where she stood at any given time no matter how she strained.

"Damn outlanders," she muttered for at least the hundredth time. She rounded on Touline angrily. "Are you sure that this is the right direction?"

"Yes, Mother," she murmured. "I can feel the magical resonance of Zairian's Ledge. I know the oracles are there, just as it was in the astral plane."

"There," Deterik called out suddenly, pointing straight ahead. "I can see them."

Lanfear nodded, content. Of all of her children, Deterik would be able to see the furthest in the darkness. She had made sure that his father bore the ability to manipulate the darkness before lying with him for the night. She had gone through great pains to select vampires that had acquired the desired elemental abilities over the innumerable years of their unending lives.

"Are the great cats and the miserable youko still following us?" she queried, already knowing the answer. As long as they carried Cye with them, they would be followed.

"Of course," Follouya answered absently, her thoughts still on one redheaded youko she had fought only a few hours ago. She had regretted having to attack him before having a little fun with the uncertain youko, though she mourned his escape more. Her pouting made it clear that she wouldn't have minded a few hours alone with him.

"Ah, the oracles," Lanfear murmured, suddenly coming into view of the magnificent beasts.

After a moment of careful scrutiny, she recognized them as unicorns, creatures she had long believed to exist only in children's stories and ancient myths. Unlike the sphinxes she had seen in the outlands during her thirteen years of wandering, these creatures looked almost fragile. Sleek obsidian fur shone preternaturally in the darkness, accenting the impossible brightness of their eyes. Both of the twinned creatures sported shimmering opal eyes that almost obliterated the darkness. Their horns and hooves alike seemed to sparkle with the same coloration to a lesser degree, giving them a silvery appearance, neither horn nor hooves were near as bright as the glowing eyes that cut through the darkness.

Lanfear paused, thinking carefully back to the images she had seen in Mieren's mind upon confronting the ten sphinxes. There were only two here, making her wonder if she should send the twins forward first. Ten elemental powers and two magical. Theoretically, the light and dark arts should move first. If these oracles were anything like those found in the astral plane, she would have to counter some inane riddle as well. As though reading her thoughts, the unicorn on the left began to speak, its deep voice rumbling in its long throat.

"**Be that of our blood, the dragon may call, though answers we shall not be required to speak. Vampire's sin and youko's folly, the past here shall not be repeated in the presence of the any who do not heed the ways of the elders. Here we stand and here we stay, those who wish us to comply must answer to our whim. The powers we shall not allow to stray are ours to deliver."**

Relieved that she would not have to listen to some ludicrous rhymes, Lanfear stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"**What must we do to gain these powers?"**

"**Tests of three presented to whomever challenges, eternity awaiting the mind which may pass."**

"**What is the first test?"** Lanfear demanded, growing weary of their games. She reminded herself forcefully that these were challenges and not the absurd riddles that Mieren had had to deal with. That thought alone eased her nerves. How difficult could their little tricks be?

Her question was answered almost immediately, a tsunami of fog closing in on them from all directions. Several expletives and obscenities attempted to escape her mouth simultaneously as she prepared herself to counter, wondering why she hadn't expected this. The sphinxes in the astral plane had required that the point consist of a magical power strong enough to split itself in twenty directions. She should have expected that she would have to counter the elements in the plane of magic.

The impact of the wave of fog nearly stole her consciousness, leaving her reeling unsteadily into Cognite. It took her several moments to realize that all of her children, save the twins and Menderren, had combined their energies to support her as the invading power showed no signs of letting up. On impulse, she seized her children's powers and reversed the wave of fog, sending it crashing into the twin oracles. The unicorns pulled back, the churning fogs disappearing with their movement. Straightening imperiously, she called on them again.

"**What is the second test?"**

The unicorns turned to regard each other, flames of black, white and every imaginable shade of gray erupting around them and spreading outwards instantaneously. Sucking in a breath between clenched teeth, Lanfear threw her powers up to block, her mind nearly collapsing when the lighter energies collided with her own. Only Thena's frantic efforts saved her, the girl's grasp of the lighter arts barely keeping the encroaching flames at bay long enough for Menderren and Cehir to join them. After a moment's deliberation, Len and Vera joined in the effort, their unequaled energies quickly overpowering the onslaught. Lanfear glanced at them, shaking her head wryly. Naturally they would be strong enough to counter that threat, which must have been distressingly simple to them seeing as to how they had already achieved both the physical forms and energies of the outlanders. She wondered briefly if the ceremony would increase their powers further.

Still somewhat shaken, she straightened arrogantly, unwilling to show any weakness, and addressed the oracles again.

"**What is the third test?"**

Twin sets of inconceivably frosty eyes narrowed imperiously, the massive heads lowering as one to regard her more closely. The powerful heads swiveled, each beast turning one eye fully on her, each snowy orb larger than her head. She threw her shoulders back, staring down the imposing gazes without flinching. The enormous eyes blinked.

"**For what reason do you seek these powers?"**

Lanfear jerked back, completely caught off guard. Her mind spun wildly for a moment as she strove to formulate an answer that they would accept. She could only wonder what she could answer that wouldn't bring about her death. Instinctively she knew that these oracles were just as vindictive as those in the astral plane and the mere memories of what had been done to those demons made her stomach turn. Sensing that they would know if she lied, she ground her teeth, quickly coming up with an answer that was true, if barely.

"**I seek to destroy the Clan of the Midnight Shadows and the Starlight Clan, both of which lost control of their powers three millennia past as they fought in a brutal war. This war cost countless people their lives and destroyed the lands of my dimension."**

The identical unicorns turned to each other, ivory eyes unblinking. As one, they turned back to face her, speaking in unison.

"**You lie,"** they murmured, baritone voices rumbling painfully through the air. One began to paw the ground as though intent on charging, causing several nervous looks and uneasy shifting to ripple through the group. Deterik looked ready to drop Cye on the ground and charge blindly towards the infuriated oracles. Before they could do anything, Len and Vera stepped forward, identical looks of haughtiness and concealed rage playing across their features.

"**We will take these powers because they are ours to claim,"** Len explained quietly. A cruel look appeared on Vera's face when she realized exactly what he had planned for the towering oracles.

At their slow, deliberate advance, the unicorns lowered their massive heads threateningly, horns leveling with the youths as they drew nearer. The twins broke off in either direction, each veering unerringly towards one of the massive beasts. Without warning, they broke into full sprints, tackling the identical oracles in separate manners.

Vera had used her innate speed to basically sprint up the heavily muscled foreleg, easily holding her place on the broad back by sinking her claws deep into the arching neck. Her features flashed from shock to a feral ecstasy when thick, onyx blood seeped from the wounds her claws had inflicted. She crowed in victory, delighted in the obvious pain of the oracle as it thrashed beneath her. Almost losing her grasp once, Vera wrapped the claws of her wings around the shining horn. To ensure her grip, she pushed the talons of her hands further inwards through the flailing neck until she managed to lock her hands together in an unbreakable grip. Sensing her lock on it tighten, the unicorn threw its head forward and rolled onto its back in a crushing motion, desperate to break her away from its only weakness. Undaunted, Vera held on, knowing that the beast could not hope to counter magically as long as she maintained her grasp on the energies pulsing through its enormous body. Slowly, the unicorn attempted to rise, its eyes glazing as it realized its defeat and laid still, Vera's grip still secure around its horn. She snapped off the glowing horn almost lazily to ensure the oracle's demise.

Len's battle was much shorter and far more terrifying. Approaching the pawing hooves, he waited for the inevitable blow to fall. The unicorn slashed its massive silvery horn at him, knowing the futility of casting a spell against the youth, who would simply bat it away and then retaliate. Len simply raised one hand arrogantly, easily catching the massive horn, which was far larger than he was, in his outstretched fingers. Baring his teeth in a grunt of effort, he whipped the massive creature above his head and slammed in into the earth behind him, snapping the thick horn free with the impact. Only then did he notice that he had nearly flattened the rest of the group, all of which had been forced to abandon dignity and scatter. Deterik had barely remembered to grab Cye off of the ground before running.

"Shall we?" Vera asked, rejoining the irate bunch with a bloody seven-foot horn draped over her shoulder.

"Probably," Lanfear admitted, regaining her composure. "Before those mangy creatures decide to bother us." She waved absently towards the five great cats and clustering youko, knowing that they were helpless to do anything. Not many had managed to clear the gateway before it had snapped shut behind them. One of the youko had even gotten caught in the closing gateway, his howls ringing through the air for a mere moment before he went silent forever.

Soft, unearthly chuckles rounded the group in appreciation of her joke. Menderren even went as far as to clutch his heart and pretend to faint into Koxanama's arms in supposed grief for the fallen youko, who promptly dropped him. Before an impromptu, and likely dangerous, wrestling match could ensue, Lanfear cleared her throat and waved towards Vera and Len, neither of which appeared to appreciate the delay. Grins grew wider throughout the group as they assumed their positions.

With strength belying their youthful frames, Len and Vera casually slammed the blunt end of the horns into the ground, their fingers remaining wrapped around the sharp points as they waited on the others. Menderren moved to stand between them, towering over them at six and a half feet. He crossed his arms, emerald-flecked silver eyes narrowing impatiently before he remembered what his exact position was supposed to be. Shrugging, he placed one palm firmly over the points of the horns on either side of him, watching idly as his blood coursed down the sleek silver.

Thena and Sellene moved to stand behind Len, closing their eyes as they began to summon their powers. Black and white magic raged wildly between the two, barely controlled by Len's presence and guiding mind. Lanfear was frankly amazed that the boy was so powerful and skilled, especially at his age. And for both him and his sister to have achieved the powers and forms of the outlanders even before the ceremony was unthinkable.

The remaining ten warriors moved behind Vera and split into two separate circles. Cognite, Picen, Detowin and Cehir moved into one ring, their elemental abilities of fire, water, earth and air, respectively, rising sluggishly around them as they summoned the powers against the protesting energies of the outlands. The other six formed a circle of their own to represent the other six energies, though Deterik had to pause to throw Cye to Lanfear before resuming his place and summoning the encroaching darkness to his waiting mind. Touline followed suit immediately, the light from her summoning countering Deterik's darkness. Follouya and Koxanama followed only an instant later, their powers of life's loyalties and illusion clashing horribly. Yersenia and Nengitis only stared at the building energies in shock for a moment before adding poison and spirit to the cumulating forces.

Lanfear moved back as Len and Vera threw their rising voices into the unyielding night, Cye still draped unconscious across her shoulders. She was amazed that he was still alive after all he had been through. She had been almost certain that he would have died hours ago to be reborn into her waiting hands. His survival, however, could be used to her advantage. She blanched suddenly, realizing that with his heritage and undeniable strength, he would surely be affected by the ritual her children were now performing. Sighing, she decided that she would simply have to kill him before he regained consciousness, though not before she used him to her ends.

Stepping back another few paces, she decided that she did not want to be overly close to her children as they worked. Stray bolts of energy shot in every imaginable direction at random intervals whenever someone allowed their concentration to waver. Repressed by the planes of the outlands, the elemental powers quivered seemingly uncontrollably, the two differing circles of power barely able to send the building energies to Vera, who was struggling to compensate for the restricting dimension. Len, however, was faced with another problem. Unhindered by the surrounding lands, the two vastly different divisions of magic raged around the youth as he strained to properly channel the infinite powers to Menderren, who was swaying unchecked by his inability to control both elemental and magical powers in such magnitudes at the same time.

"Just a bit more," Lanfear urged, seeing the infinite shield around the dimension's energies slowly crumbling. The efforts of the youko and vampires to seal the powers of the outlands had almost succeeded. Their intertwining energies made it impossible to penetrate the shield without inconceivable powers, a task thought impossible for the designers of the warding. Only Mieren's devious mind had allowed them to break through the impossibility. Lanfear felt it ironic that she had died in an attempt to prevent the very act she had spent her whole life preparing for.

A thunderous explosion or energy rolled across the very dimension as the shield crumpled, nearly deafening everything outside of the penetrating cluster responsible for the act. Shrieks of the youko filled the air as they were destroyed by the surge of magical energies, the former inhabitants of the astral plane disintegrating in the lethal shock wave. Lanfear was shocked when the five great cats only hunkered down defensively, the rolling energies passing harmlessly over their hunched forms. The massive cats were quickly out of her mind when she felt the true powers of the outlands seeping into her very being. She smiled. She had won.

Jade eyes glinting with malicious intent, Lanfear plucked Cye from the ground with a simple thought, wrapping twin sets of wings around his still form. Cehir watched the two impassively for a moment before he averted his gaze. His mother just smirked at him knowingly before vanishing in a burst of fogs. Sea green eyes narrowed where the pair had last been.

"What's your problem?" Deterik asked, eyeing his younger yet older brother quizzically. Cehir spat on the ground where the pair had last been.

"I know him," the silver-haired man responded tersely. Deterik snorted.

"Of course you know him! He's been a pain in the ass for years!"

"That," he corrected angrily, gesturing with one hand, "was the man who trained me."

"Wait," Touline objected. "I thought you were trained by your father. Cye is either your second cousin or your nephew, depending on how you look at it since Mieren and Lanfear are the same person in essence, or at least the same as twin sisters."

"Cye… IS my father."

"Inbreeding," Koxanama mused. "No wonder you can use light magic or why you look so different from the rest of us."

Sea green eyes narrowed. "I'm not the only one," Cehir groused.

Cognite laughed. "We were born of vampires! Separate fathers, all of us."

Cehir grinned slightly. "But do you know where the vampires originated?" His siblings only glanced at each other in bafflement.

"Where then?" Follouya queried. Menderren just watched the escalating battle, green and silver slurred eyes following the conversation silently. Cehir smirked openly.

"Our uncle."

"We don't have an uncle," Menderren objected.

"Actually," Cehir mused, sea green eyes narrowing. "We have three."

---

To Be Continued…

Next up, the fifth in the series, Eternity.

Midnight Shadows

Obsidian Fires

Dragon Wars

Outlands

Eternity


	10. A few notes

Notes for all the new people I created…

Starlight Clan:

Sanada (Hiroshi)---Ryo's ancestor, fastest of the sorcerers from the Starlight Clan, looks like Ryo – black hair and tiger blue eyes

Date (Hideaki)---Sage's ancestor, tactician of the sorcerers from the Starlight Clan, looks like Sage but with violet eyes

Fung (Ikuto)---Kento's ancestor, strongest (physically) of the sorcerers from the Starlight Clan, looks like Kento, blue-gray hair and gray eyes

Mouri (Masayuki)---Cye's ancestor, most skilled of the sorcerers from the Starlight Clan, looks like Cye as an elf with russet hair and teal eyes

Hashiba (Nagateru)---Rowen's ancestor, strongest (magically) of the sorcerers of the Starlight Clan, looks like Rowen, blue hair and eyes

Clan of the Midnight Shadows:

Kusen (Naaza)---Sehkmet's ancestor, looks just like him, powerful sorcerer and master of venom

Shinji (Shuten)---Anubis's ancestor, looks like him as a ten year old, powerful sorcerer and master of life's loyalty

Tari (Rajura)---Dais's ancestor, looks like her but has both of his eyes and shorter hair, powerful sorcerer and master of illusion

Ritsuko---Kayura's ancestor, looks like her only taller/older and going gray, one of the ancients, wields beige flames, heavily muscled

Kenji---Cale's ancestor, looks just like him without the scar on his face, can't cook worth a damn, powerful sorcerer and master of darkness

Lanfear's children:

Touline---female, 1st born (2500), appears to be in mid to late forties, black hair and jade eyes, jade dragon with black mane, logical one of group, favors the element light

Follouya---female, 4th born, 5th oldest (1700), appears to be in mid thirties, very dark forest green hair to waist and gold eyes, greenish gold dragon with gold mane and claws, silent, seductive, favors the talent of loyalty of life, likes Anubis---for her powers to work, eye contact must be maintained at all times---large breasts

Deterik---male, 5th born, 6th oldest (1600), crimson hair and emerald eyes, surprisingly tanned skin, considered one of the more dangerous and insane of the children, deep crimson dragon, black mane/eyes, appears to be in his mid thirties, extremely temperamental and devious, favors darkness – referred to as a psychopath, very muscular

Menderren---male, youngest of the group, 12th born, youngest (600), black hair and green eyes before merging with Touma, eyes turn silver immediately afterwards, black dragon with sapphire mane after merging, looks to be in mid to late twenties both before and after, around 6'6" tall, very pale, only dragon to sport horns in both dragon and outlander form (controlling mechanism), strong but favors no particular elemental or magical strength---traitor

Picen---male, favors water, very fast, 3rd born, 4th oldest (1900)

Nengitis---male, favors spirit, 7th born, 8th oldest (1200)

Yersenia---female, favors poisons, 6th born, 7th oldest (1400)

Detowin---male, favors earth, very stupid, 9th born, 10th oldest (1000)

Cehir---male, 13th born, 2nd oldest (2200), favors both air and water, silver hair and sea green eyes, almost seems to possess a light soul, white dragon with silver mane and sea green eyes, Cye's son and actually the last child born, but due to time traveling, he is the second oldest, trained by Cye in both the light and dark arts for several years, beginning at age five, very fast---traitor to his mother

Sellene---female, 10th born, 11th oldest (800), twin to Thena, black hair and black eyes, dark magical master, looks to be in mid twenties, slender and of average height

Thena---female, 11th born, 12th oldest (800), twin to Sellene, black hair and black eyes, light magical master, looks to be in mid twenties, cannot use light magic properly and often fries herself

Koxanama---male, 2nd born, 3rd oldest (2100), favors illusion, good at offense, but cannot defend against own element, fastest of the group

Cognite---male, favors fire, 8th born, 9th oldest (1100)


End file.
